Veolia is engaged in open dialogue with our stakeholders and members of the community.
We recognize the legitimate questions from Milwaukeeans - please reach out to Veolia on our contact page or at our facilities and offices.
Is our wastewater properly treated in Milwaukee?
Yes. Veolia operates the wastewater collection and treatment systems at Jones Island and South Shore under strict oversight from local, state, and federal agencies. Both facilities are subject to continuous monitoring, and results are publicly reported on a regular basis. That data consistently demonstrates strong environmental and compliance performance. Our contract goes beyond what the law requires, holding us to standards that are stricter than the state-issued permits. Every day we return clean, treated water to Lake Michigan, one of the region’s most vital natural resources.
What is the compliance record for the Jones Island and South Shore facilities?
Veolia has demonstrated an exceptional compliance record with its permit and contract discharge limits. For calendar year 2025, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)’s Wisconsin DNR Compliance Maintenance Annual Report confirms that both Jones Island and South Shore plants earned a 4.0 – the highest mark possible – in all ten categories of evaluation. Over the past decade, Jones Island has achieved a 4.0 in nine of those ten years, while South Shore has done so in six. During that same time period, neither plant has ever scored below a 3.59. Below are the facilities’ annual effluent limit compliance rates since 2015.
| 2015 | 98.99% |
| 2016 | 99.84% |
| 2017 | 99.99% |
| 2018 | 98.37% |
| 2019 | 99.35% |
| 2020 | 97.27% |
| 2021 | 99.33% |
| 2022 | 98.82% |
| 2023 | 99.67% |
Is Veolia responsible for sewage backing up into basements or entering Lake Michigan?
No. The system that collects and moves rainwater and wastewater to the Jones Island and South Shore facilities is complex and spans numerous municipalities, each with their own sewer system that varies in size, age, and effectiveness. Backups in those local systems are often the cause of localized surface flooding and basement backups, not operations at our facilities
Ahead of and during every rain event, Veolia and MMSD jointly monitor conditions across the entire system, including the Deep Tunnel and treatment facilities, and coordinate operations in real time. The priorities of the system are clear: prevent basement backups, minimize overflows, and protect water quality. When extreme conditions require system-level decisions, MMSD retains final authority.
Is Veolia cutting corners to increase profits?
No. We take great care of the infrastructure entrusted to us by MMSD, and our contract holds us to strict performance standards with penalties if those standards are not met.
Our maintenance practices follow rigorous industry standards that often exceed manufacturer guidelines. We take a proactive approach and these practices are fully transparent and coordinated with MMSD. Both organizations have invested in additional maintenance and engineering staff to strengthen system reliability over time. The results speak for themselves: Veolia completes preventative maintenance on critical assets within 45 days at a rate exceeding 95% annually.
Why is a local group calling for an audit of Veolia?
A local group called "Common Ground" has initiated a campaign against Veolia, making claims of mismanagement at the wastewater treatment plants and demanding an audit. Those claims rely on outdated concerns and the opinions of former employees, some of whom lack direct knowledge of the specific operations and systems that they are commenting on, rather than focusing on actual performance or water quality.
The timing of this campaign coincides with the conclusion of MMSD’s multi‑year procurement process to select an operations and maintenance partner, in which Veolia is one of two final bidders. The timing, coordination, and focus of this campaign raise serious questions about whether the audit demand is truly about oversight or about harming Veolia’s reputation and manipulating the procurement process.
As a reliable partner, Veolia is open to cooperating with any audit process decided by MMSD while remaining focused on returning clean and compliant water to Lake Michigan and investing for Milwaukee’s future. Veolia has also introduced the Milwaukee Standard—a set of commitments to transparency and our partnership with MMSD and the Milwaukee community. This includes an independent third-party contract performance review, an annual worker safety transparency report, a new Community Advisory Panel, and a Community Prosperity Pledge. Additionally, we are deepening our efforts to protect Lake Michigan through the Lake Michigan Legacy Project. Learn more here [link].