HALES CORNERS — Residents in the north end of Hales Corners have cleaner drinking water after months of construction to connect their homes to Milwaukee Water Works, following contamination from PFAS chemicals.
In 2023, PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, impacted nearly 200 homes connected to the Hales Happiness Water Trust. The trust and village decided to switch over to Milwaukee Water Works to ensure safe drinking water for families.
"We wanted to try to find a way to keep our kids safe," Hurkman said.
The project faced initial funding challenges because the Hales Happiness Water Trust is a private company, creating roadblocks for state loan applications. While waiting for approval, the village borrowed around $4.3 million to move the project forward.
Watch: Hales Corners residents are excited for funding after a project to eliminate forever chemicals
Senator Ron Johnson, Congressman Bryan Steil, and State Rep. Bob Donovan helped the village overcome those obstacles, and funding was eventually secured.
"We just found out about the funding. We were happy to see about that," Spacek said.
The village reports that the projected cost of $25,000 to $30,000 per household over the next ten years has now been halved, thanks to the secured funding.
"Obviously, with two kids, not having to spend that extra money on our property taxes for the next 10 years is huge," Hurkman said.
Residents' water lines were converted earlier this month, and they're already noticing improvements in their water quality.
"I've noticed immediately a change in the water. It tastes better, it smells better, there's no after effect when I wash clothes, so it does help," Spacek said.
Construction is nearly complete, with only road repaving remaining. The project represents a significant step forward for community health and safety.
"Overall, we're all thankful to be hooked up to safe water," one resident said.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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