MMSD dredged materials management facility and milwaukee skyline

Dredged Material Management Facility

Project Alert

Over the last few months, there have been some updates on the design and MMSD has submitted permit applications to the DNR. As we move forward, we will be receiving permit comments and continuing to move that design forward. The plan is to solicit bids from companies for the construction of the Dredged Material Management Facility in the winter. Watch the May 2023 update video and the June 2022 virtual walking tour of the Dredged Material Management Facility.to learn more.

To build the Dredged Material Management Facility, we first need to relocate a combined sewer overflow outfall. Watch the October 2022 Combined Sewer Overflow Outfall #195 Relocation project video to learn more.

Project Overview

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is partnering with the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), We Energies, and Port Milwaukee to create a new Dredged Material Management Facility (DMMF) in the Milwaukee harbor. When it is completed, this facility will provide safe, secure containment for 1.9 million cubic yards of sediment removed from the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers.

Over time, contaminated sediment has accumulated in the downstream portions of our rivers. The Milwaukee Estuary (the area where Milwaukee’s three rivers converge) was designated an Area of Concern (AOC) by the EPA in 1987 due to historical contamination. Since then, there have been ongoing efforts to clean up Milwaukee’s Estuary.

The existing Confined Disposal Facility located north of the Lake Express ferry dock is nearly at capacity and does not have available space for the sediment that will be removed from the rivers as part of the Milwaukee Estuary AOC Initiative. The new DMMF will provide the needed capacity for storage of this sediment.

The DMMF is a cost-effective approach that manages the contaminated sediment and protects both river and lake health. In addition to reducing the cost to remove and store the sediment, construction of the DMMF at the lakefront bypasses the negative environmental impacts of hauling the material to a new landfill. If the material was trucked to a landfill instead of to the DMMF, there would be increased truck traffic and the need for landfill expansion.

The facility is anticipated to be constructed between 2022 and 2023. Once constructed, the DMMF will be owned and operated by the Port of Milwaukee.

The DMMF project is part of a larger initiative to clean up the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC). Learn more about the AOC by watching this John Gurda video or visiting the Waterway Restoration Partnership website.

Project Map

Partner List

Project Benefits

Safe containment for dredged contaminated sediment removed from the river beds
Improved fish and wildlife habitat
More cost-effective than hauling the material to an approved landfill

Project Timeline*

Fall 2021: Final Design Consultant Selected
Spring/ Summer 2022: 2^nd Public Information Meeting
Summer 2023: Project Bidding
Late 2023- Early 2024: Project Construction Begins
2026/2027: Construction Completion

*Timeline is subject to change

Get Involved / Stay Informed

Sign up to receive Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC) MMSD project updates in your inbox.
Participate in upcoming events. MMSD will conduct a number of stakeholder and public outreach activities throughout the entirety of the project to obtain project input and feedback.
Learn more about the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC) by visiting milwaukeeestuaryaoc.com and following AOC initiatives on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).