Help reduce sewer overflows to Lake Michigan, basement backups at your home, and polluted stormwater runoff by taking the 100-gallon challenge whenever your favorite forecaster calls for heavy rain.  

"Small changes at the household-by-household level can yield huge benefits to our area rivers and ultimately, to Lake Michigan, the source of most of our drinking water and the place many of us flock to for recreation and relaxation,” said Ken Leinbach, Urban Ecology Center Executive Director.  

Every inch of rain on MMSD's service area equals 7.1 billion gallons of water.  

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, The Urban Ecology Center, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), and Sweet Water organizations are encouraging families and neighbors to customize their own plan to reduce water usage inside the home and increase water storage in the yard whenever the forecast calls for heavy rain.  Installing a rain barrel on your downspout alone can capture 55 gallons of water that you can use during dry weather to water trees, gardens, and flowers.

Click here for more information and to sign-up for the 100-Gallon Challenge