Protecing Lake Michigan from combined sewer overflows

Milwaukee’s Fresh Coast Green Communities

Greenprint is partnering with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to plan, build and maintain green infrastructure (GI) on public and private properties through the Fresh Coast Green Communities (FCGC) program. 

In parts of Milwaukee, the combined sewer system sends both stormwater and wastewater through the same pipes to a water reclamation facility. Major storms and heavy rains can overwhelm the sewer system. To prevent water from backing up into basements, MMSD redirects excess water to the nearest river or lake through an overflow pipe. The FCGC program aims to reduce these overflows by using GI to capture and slow stormwater. In doing so, it encourages the creation of more Fresh Coast Guardians — individuals committed to protecting Milwaukee's water through sustainable practices and GI. Our team is responsible for identifying and implementing projects across the city that collectively manage 9–12 million gallons of stormwater.

Greenprint developed FCGC in partnership with MMSD, following our Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships (CBP3) model. This structure enables Greenprint to more effectively mobilize resources, apply innovative solutions and increase efficiency — ensuring we deliver projects that make a lasting impact in the communities we serve while supporting MMSD’s overarching goals.

Greenprint leads a team of engineering and landscape architecture firms that handle all aspects of design and permitting. Once the designs are finished and permits are approved, we publicly bid and award construction contractors to start construction. We also work closely with local nonprofits and community organizations to make sure our projects align with community needs and deliver the most meaningful benefits and amenities, as defined by community members. 

To further support community engagement, Greenprint addresses the communications needs of participating sites, helping landowners engage their communities about the GI projects. This includes creating print materials like posters and flyers as well as digital content for social media. Additionally, our team organizes interactive voting activities and facilitates design workshops to involve community members more deeply in the design process.

To enhance community involvement, Greenprint secured $600,000 in grant funding from the Builders Initiative, which includes deep collaboration with community-based organizations (CBOs) for their participation (and compensating CBOs for their contributions). This supplemental funding also enabled development of a program-wide equity strategy, creation of a community-driven plan for residential stormwater solutions in the Sherman Park neighborhood, and deeper engagement of residents and partners through a variety of communications and outreach channels. In FCGC’s first year, Greenprint secured commitments for 20 projects, surpassing MMSD’s stormwater management goal with more projects on the way.

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Photo: City of Wauwatosa