In 2009, Milwaukee's business leaders, educators and politicians created The Water Council, an organization unique to the United States and geared toward making Milwaukee the World Water Hub for research, education and economic development. Five years later, the Wisconsin Historical Society and The Water Council formed an innovative partnership to document the ongoing water initiative that the Council believes will shape the economic future of the state. Read the press release announcing the partnership here.

Through the partnership, the Society established a field office at the Council's Global Water Center, the first time in the Society's then-168-year history that a staffperson was based in the state's most populous city. The partnership brings together the Council and the staff and resources of the Society to train Council staff in records management and archival documentation and enable Wisconsinites present and future to better understand the state's role as a leader in water research, education and technology. Read a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on the partnership here.

About The Water Council

The Water Council, the only organization of its kind in the United States, was established in 2009 by Milwaukee-area businesses, education and government leaders. With more than 150 water technology companies in the Milwaukee area, the region's water industry is a $10.5 billion dollar market and accounts for four percent of the world's total water business. The nonprofit organization, consisting of more than 160 members, is linking together global water technology companies, innovative water entrepreneurs, acclaimed academic research programs and, most importantly, some of the nation's brightest and most energetic water professionals. The Water Council is capturing the attention of the world and transforming the Milwaukee region into a World Water Hub for freshwater research, economic development and education. For more information, visit The Water Council website.

The Water Council's Wisconsin Water Legacy Benefit

Through their support of The Water Council, Council members are eligible to receive special benefits through the Wisconsin Water Legacy Program. These benefits may include:

• Consultation with the Wisconsin Historical Society regarding historic preservation services, concepts and plans;
• Preservation of members' core business records for inclusion in The Water Council Archival Collection within the Society;
• Indexing and preservation of members' websites for inclusion in The Water Council Digital Collection within the Society;
• Publications, newsletters and exclusive invitations and offers from the Society.

To see a full list of available benefits, visit The Water Council's website here. Contact the Society's Southeast Outreach Coordinator, Kristen Leffelman, at kristen.leffelman@wisconsinhistory.org or 414-988-8655 for more information or to opt in to benefits.