Lake Michigan is more than a recreational attraction. It also fuels more 120 water-related businesses in the Milwaukee area, including world-class companies on the cutting edge of water technologies: Veolia Water, ITT Corp., GE Water & Process Technologies and Siemens.

Lynn Broaddus, executive director of Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers, noted that today’s investments in infrastructure that handles wastewater and rainwater would pay off in time. It is estimated that water consumption is doubling every 20 years, and that one-third of the global population will not have access to adequate drinking water by 2025.

“The value of living next to beautiful, clean water will only skyrocket,” Broaddus “That’s why it’s important to act now to protect this resource.” On May 22, Broaddus will join three other speakers at the 4th Street Forum, held Turner Hall, for “Lake Michigan’s Fate and Milwaukee’s Future.”

Milwaukee Public Television will broadcast the forum on Friday, May 23, at 10 p.m. Channel 10, and Sunday, May 25, at 3 p.m. on Channel 36.

Definition of the Week

Oligopoly
When a few firms dominate a market. Together, they can behave as if they were single monopoly, perhaps by forming a cartel. Or they may collude informally, by prefering non-price competition to a price war.