Milwaukee Water Commons Inc

MILWAUKEE WATER COMMONS INC. IS A CROSS-CITY NETWORK THAT FOSTERS CONNECTION, COLLABORATION, AND BROAD COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMON WATERS. THE ORGANIZATION PROMOTES STEWARDSHIP OF EQUITABLE ACCESS TO AND SHARED DECISION-MAKING FOR OUR COMMON WATERS. THE ORGANIZATION FOCUSES ON SIX INITIATIVES: WATER QUALITY, DRINKING WATER, ARTS AND CULTURE, BLUE GREEN JOBS, EDUCATION AND RECREATION, AND GREEN INITIATIVE.

THE BRANCH OUT MILWAUKEE PROGRAM ALONG WITH SHERMAN PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION'S TREE BOARD CELEBRATED ARBOR DAY WITH A TREE PLANTING AT 35TH AND LOCUST. STUDENTS FROM SHERMAN MULTICULTURAL ARTS SCHOOL PARTICIPATED WITH THE PLANTING AND WATERING, AND ENJOYED FUN CREATIVE ACTIVITIES. THE BEACH AMBASSADOR PROGRAM WAS IN ITS THIRD YEAR! THEY CONTINUE TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN ENSURING THE SAFE ENJOYMENT OF MILWAUKEE'S BEACHES, AND THEY HAVE EXPANDED THEIR EFFORTS BY PARTICIPATING IN OUTREACH AT OTHER LOCAL EVENTS. WE KICKED OFF A NEW PROGRAM PILOT BY WELCOMING FIVE ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE. THEY PARTICIPATED IN WATER SCHOOL AND ARE DEVELOPING A FRESH VARIETY OF PROJECTS TO PUSH OUR WORK DEEPER INTO THE MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY. 2023 MARKED THE 9TH YEAR OF WATER SCHOOL. WE WORKED WITH GROWING GREEN GARDENS, JARDIN DEL PUEBLO, PEAK INITIATIVE, THE MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM, TRUE SKOOL AND OUR FIRST COHORT OF ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE. IT'S EXCITING TO SEE PEOPLE DISCOVER MILWAUKEE'S WATERWAYS WITH FRESH EYES. OUR WATER SCHOOL ALUMNI ARE EXCELLENT ADVOCATES FOR OUR WATERS. WE INVITED THEM ON A BOAT TRIP TO DELVE INTO THE WORK HAPPENING AROUND THE HISTORIC AREA OF CONCERN RIVER CLEAN-UP. IT WAS AN EVENING OF DEEPENING KNOWLEDGE AND STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS. WORKING WITH OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND UTILITIES, WE DEVELOPED AN EQUITABLE APPROACH TO REPLACING LEAD SERVICE LINES. AREAS WITH ELEVATED CHILDHOOD BLOOD LEAD LEVELS, A HIGHER DENSITY OF LEAD LINES, AND LOWER SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS WERE PRIORITIZED. OUR ADVOCACY HAS HELPED ACCELERATE LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT.