Wellpoint Care Network Completes Major Green Infrastructure Project Designed to Capture Over One Million Gallons of Stormwater

Wellpoint Care Network recently completed a large-scale Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) project on its Capitol Drive campus. This innovative project features a wetland and bioswale system designed to capture, treat and temporarily store up to 1.2 million gallons of rainwater on-site, significantly reducing flood risk in the surrounding neighborhood and improving the water quality of the Menomonee River and Lake Michigan.

Beyond its environmental impact, this project is part of a larger multi-year effort to transform Wellpoint Care’s historic 18-acre campus into a vibrant neighborhood anchor where families, neighbors and community partners will find trauma-informed social services, mental health resources and a place to connect, collaborate and care for themselves and one another.

“This was such an important and exciting project for Wellpoint Care, our neighborhood, and the city of Milwaukee,” said Ann Leinfelder Grove, CEO of Wellpoint Care Network. “Not only are the environmental and community impacts impressive and truly meaningful, but the project itself represents a living example of the importance and the impact of caring, connection and collaboration. Milwaukee has been our home for 175 years and we are grateful to be a part of this project and partnership for lasting impact.”

The initial external construction project on the campus grounds was a collaborative effort between Wellpoint Care and the Fresh Coast Protection Partnership, a community-based partnership between Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and Corvias Infrastructure Solutions (CIS).

“We couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Wellpoint Care Network. Building one of the largest wetlands in the City of Milwaukee came with challenges, but the Wellpoint Care team and the final results are nothing short of extraordinary. The benefits to the community are immense,” said Kurt Farrell, Market Director – Great Lakes of CIS.

Wellpoint Care hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 24, 2024, to celebrate the completion of the project.

Key highlights of the GSI Project:

This GSI project was designed to capture, treat and temporarily store up to 1.2 million gallons of stormwater through a system of constructed wetlands, bioswales and native landscaping. The GSI project consists of the following key elements and community impacts:

• A series of bioretention basins, native landscaping and a constructed wetland were designed to intercept, detain and treat stormwater runoff from all building roofs, parking areas, and other impervious surfaces on the 18-acre Wellpoint Care Network campus.
• Impervious surfaces were reduced by over 20% across the campus.
• The basins and wetland were designed to withstand a 100-year storm event, far exceeding the regulatory requirements.
• Neighborhood flooding risk is reduced as rainfall is captured and temporarily stored on-site versus flowing directly into adjacent sewers, roads, sidewalks or properties.
• The water quality of the Menomonee River watershed and Lake Michigan is improved due to stormwater runoff filtering through engineered soils and native plants before entering the sewer system.
• Native vegetation was installed for both environmental and beautification purposes, creating an asset for the entire neighborhood.
• Small, Women, Minority, and Veteran-owned Business Enterprises (SWMBEs) awarded contracts representing over 30% of the total project participation.

This project marks a significant step toward sustainable water management in Milwaukee, showcasing the power of collaboration in advancing environmental and community health.