MILWAUKEE - A newly released study has stomach-turning results. Water is gathering high levels of human waste between storm sewer grates and Lake Michigan.

"That's disgusting to think the kids are playing in it," said Katie Ragan, who was at Bradford Beach on Monday with her family. "Everything goes in their mouths."
 
Overflows force the Metro Milwaukee Sewerage District (MMSD) to routinely dump sewage into Lake Michigan and rivers during heavy rains. However, the new study reveals human waste is seeping into the storm water system even during the driest weather.
 
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute scientist Sandra McLellan and her students spent three years testing storm water sites for human fecal bacteria in metro Milwaukee. It is believed to be the first research of its kind in the country.
 
"We were surprised at the extent of the problem," McLellan told TODAY'S TMJ4 reporter Tom Murray. "We did a new test to detect human waste in [the water] and human waste is really a concern because we carry the things that make us sick."
 
The culprit is aging, poorly maintained and misconnected pipes. 
 
Waste leaves cracks in the sewer lines and leaks into storm water drains.
 
The only fix would be rehabbing thousands of miles of municipal and residential pipes.
 
"It's a very expensive proposition," said MMSD spokesperson Bill Graffin.
 
MMSD commissioned the study.
 
McLellan suspects there may be similar problems with storm water systems in other older cities.