Water Campaign

Clean and abundant water is essential for all life.  It is likewise a basic ingredient in our economic well-being.  Midwest Environmental Advocates works for strong water policies and provides legal representation to groups that are working to reduce water pollution, conserve water supplies, and protect the public trust in water.  Our work covers the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin.

It is well-known that Wisconsin, meaning “Gathering of the Waters,” is wealthy with water, including 84,474 miles of streams, 1.2 million lake acres and 1,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline.

Imagine what Wisconsin would be without its water.

Fortunately, streams, rivers, and lakes in Wisconsin can be protected by state and federal laws that limit the amount of pollution that can enter those waters. One of these important laws is the Clean Water Act, enacted by Congress in 1972.  Wisconsin has also enacted its own set of laws to protect water quality. Midwest Environmental Advocates has been working to promote policies that better  implement the Clean Water Act, as well as to bring citizen enforcement actions to ensure clean water. Our current work involves the following issues:

• Using the Law to Get Clean Water
• Setting Clean Water Goals - Water Quality Standards
• Keeping Clean Waters Clean – Antidegradation
• Eliminating Pollution – Clean Water Discharge Permits
• Cleaning Up Dirty Waters – Total Maximum Daily Loads

[Open Cases] [Closed Cases]

Implementing the Groundwater Protection Act

Protect the Great Lakes

Wisconsin's List of Impaired Waters under the Clean Water Act

Groundwater Advisory Committee

Mississippi River Collaborative

2009-2010 Conservation Priority: Protect Wisconsin’s Drinking Water

New! Stopping Polluted Runoff

MEA Joins Nation-Wide Call for Coal Waste Regulation
Midwest Environmental Advocates joined 108 other environmental, citizen and alternative energy advocate groups to encourage the US EPA to establish federal standards for the safe disposal of coal combustion waste.  Coal combustion waste is highly toxic and poses a threat to public and environmental health, as evidenced by the recent waste spills in Tennessee.