In older cities like Milwaukee, lead pipes are a potential threat. But there are different problems in rural areas. Ulao Creek is a tiny stream tucked into a quiet neighborhood in Mequon. On a recent afternoon, the water was high due to heavy rains the night before. And members of environmental group Milwaukee Riverkeeper are testing the water. » See More Project Milwaukee: Great Lakes, Troubled Waters Reports Using a plastic bottle mounted to a pole, Paul Lindquist stands on a bridge and scoops some water from the creek. He then pours it into a long tube. He’s checking for murkiness and the presence of nitrates. “Now we slowly pull the piece of string that’s in the tube to raise the washer, and we typically just go slowly. We are at about 20 centimeters, which is showing that the water has enough sediment in it that we are unable to see much further than 20 centimeters through the water column,” he says. Lindquist is a volunteer for Riverkeeper’s citizen monitor program. The manager