Phosphorous runoff has been plaguing Madison's lakes and streams for years. This fertilizer causes algae to bloom, making our beloved waterways stinky and hazardous. 

Now facing tougher state and federal regulations, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District has to clean up more phosphorous than ever. And just how they propose to do that is up for debate. 

The sewer district says filtering out more phosphorous would be costly, and wouldn’t address other pollutants like mercury, chloride and PFAS. They’d rather change where the water flows. Instead of sending treated water to the Badger Mill Creek in Verona, they’d reroute it to the Badfish Creek southeast of Madison, where there’s a plan in place to manage it. But concerns that the Badger Mill Creek would suffer persist. 

Come along for a deep dive into what it takes to clean up southern Wisconsin’s water. 

Dylan Brogan speaks to Martye Griffin, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District’s Director of Ecosystem Services.

Learn more: 

📖 Read the Sewer district's plan for phosphorous

🎧 Listen to Verona Mayor Luke Diaz outline concerns about Badger Mill Creek .

✍🏾 You can submit public comments through Monday, May 8. Here’s how. 

🗣️ The public hearing is May 11: Attend via Zoom. Register to speak in person. 

🚰 The Sewer Commissioners vote on May 25.

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