Bring on the Rain: Global Studies student shines at Fresh Coast Internship

When it rains in Milwaukee, all that water has to go somewhere.

Some of it ends up in the groundwater. Some of it flows into streams, rivers, and lakes, many times carrying contaminants like fertilizers or pesticides. The rest of it flows into the sewers in older parts of the City of Milwaukee, carrying debris from the streets and sending a deluge to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District (MMSD) wastewater treatment plants.

But, if Milwaukee residents find ways to divert that rainwater – say, by absorbing it in a rain garden or catching it in a 50-gallon rain barrel – that helps protect Milwaukee’s waterways and sewers from storm runoff.

The Fresh Coast Resource Center is an initiative by MMSD that aims to help residents in Milwaukee County and surrounding communities not only install rain gardens and rain barrels, but to understand the impact of managing water where it falls with green infrastructure. As an intern who has worked with Fresh Coast for the last three years, UWM student Jasmine Viges has played a big part in both efforts.

“We need to have more people understand why the small scale green infrastructure is important,” she said. “I love working with water. People are realizing more and more how important water is. We’re lucky we have the Great Lakes, this incredible resource, right next to us.”

Viges is a global studies major with a focus on sustainability. She also has a minor in conservation and environmental science. Over the past three years, she’s installed her share of rain barrels and rain gardens. They’re small actions that collectively have a big impact. Viges estimates there are about 24,000 rain barrels in the Milwaukee region that can hold 50 gallons each.

“Every time it rains, that’s 50 gallons times 24,000 rain barrels. It’s saving a lot of water from going into the sewer,” Viges said. “Right now, MMSD is treating lots of water, and a lot of it is rain water. ”

Global studies major Jasmine Viges smiles as she plants a rein garden with a fellow Fresh Coast intern. Rain gardens help absorb water from rainfalls to ease the burden on Milwaukee’s sewer system, as well as its waterways. Photo courtesy of Jasmine Viges.

Since the Rain Barrel Program started in 2004, it has built a capacity of about 1.2 million gallons of rainwater diverted into barrels during each rainfall. That may not seem like a huge amount given MMSD’s 740 million gallon goal, but every drop counts and it turns each rain barrel owner into an active stormwater manager.

ain gardens can absorb gallons of water as well. They use specially mixed soil and grow native plants with deep roots, like purple coneflower or butterfly weed, that soak up the water. As a bonus, these plants are a desired habitat for pollinators like bees and butterflies.

But Viges’ work isn’t just about diverting storm water runoff and protecting the environment. It’s also about connecting with the community in meaningful ways. She smiles as she remembers one woman, recently in remission from brain cancer, who asked for help installing a rain barrel that she could use to water her vegetable garden.

“You could tell she was so excited to have a garden growing again,” Viges said. “People tell stories about their life while we’re there and how excited they are to have a rain barrel or a rain garden.”

Beyond green infrastructure projects, Viges has also staffed information booths at community fairs, taken photographs for brochures, helped translate flyers into Spanish to reach more Milwaukee residents, and helped craft the Fresh Coast Resource Center’s strategic plan, among other duties.

In addition to honing her skills in marketing and community outreach, Viges has been learning the ins and outs of MMSD by taking field trips to sewerage plants and riding out on MMSD’s water sampling boat.

This year, she’s taken a leadership position amongst her fellow interns and helped plan community presentations to spread the word about water conservation.

“Most people don’t understand what ‘green infrastructure means, so we’re trying to find ways to help people understand what we mean. But those are all good challenges,” Viges said. “The longer I work here, the more I learn.” Viges plans to graduate in 2020. She hopes to find a job working with water conservation.

By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science