Richard Wanta, executive director of a trade group for underground contractors, suggested a staged project of separating the old combined sewers except in the downtown area, to avoid the disruption it might cause there. The city has combined sewers in an area bounded by Oklahoma Ave. on the south, Hampton Ave. on the north, Lake Michigan on the east and 60th St. on the west. Part of Shorewood also has combined sewers.
The rest of Milwaukee and all other communities in the state except Superior have separate storm and sanitary sewers.