Foxconn Technology Group formally requested Thursday to divert about 7 million gallons of water from Lake Michigan per day.
Racine Water Utility proposed this diversion in order to extend public water service to portions of the village of Mount Pleasant that do not currently have a public water supply, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
Only 60 percent of water used will be treated and returned to Lake Michigan, which leaves many environmental groups concerned.
The company announced plans to pretreat the polluted water before sending it back to Racine’s water treatment facility and, later, Lake Michigan. However, UW-Milwaukee Freshwater Sciences professor Michael Carvan is still concerned about polluted water.
"There will be nickel and zinc and iron and probably a little bit of mercury in there. If it accumulates at high enough levels it will be bad for everything that's [in the water]," Caravan told WTMJ.
The DNR has scheduled a public hearing on the request for March 7 and will be accepting electronic comments until March 21.
