Mayor Barrett makes water pitch to White House

MILWAUKEE —Milwaukee as America’s water capitol? The idea has been floated for years

Now, there is a new effort being made to get the White House involved in the city’s growing water technology industry.

VIDEO: Milwaukee’s mayor wants to make Brew City America’s water capitol

With Lake Michigan at its doorstep, water technology centers, schools and businesses continue to spring up, establishing the city as a global leader.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wants the Obama Administration to dive in.

WISN 12 News spoke with Barrett just as he wrapped a call with the White House this week to make that pitch.

“I wanted to make the case that we’ve got an incredible initiative here, that’s driven by the private sector, but supported by academia and local and state government,” Barrett said.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plays a major role in the water technology push with several initiatives.

UWM Vice Chancellor Tom Lujak said a federal role in the effort would provide a major boost.

“It would be huge. It would be huge, and it would also be very appropriate. The reason we think Milwaukee would be such a great place for this sort of investment is because of the head start we have on the rest of the world,” Lujak said.

On the surface, the economic impact of a water hub here is unclear. But to put it in perspective, the mayor compared it to another research center in another city.

“You think about a place like Atlanta that has the Centers for Disease Control. I would love for Milwaukee to be the place where water technology is king,” Barrett said.

For now, Barrett said, it’s just a pitch, with no promises, but the White House, he said, is listening.

There are more than 100 Milwaukee-area businesses involved in some area of water technology.

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Mayor Barrett makes water pitch to White House

Mayor Barrett makes water pitch to White House