The Fight for Progress: Wisconsin's Push for Lead Pipe Replacement

Produced jointly by Wisconsin Conservation Voters and the BlueGreen Alliance, this 27-minute documentary moves past the headlines to show the human and economic reality of lead service line replacement.

“What sets this film apart is the unprecedented level of access we were granted,” said filmmaker Nels Lindquist, Visual Storytelling Manager for Wisconsin Conservation Voters. “It takes viewers from active jobsites all the way into the halls of power.”

The film features raw interviews with the workers in the trenches, labor leaders, and city officials like Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who are racing against time to protect Milwaukee’s children from neurotoxic exposure.

“Lead contamination is an ongoing public health emergency, but it is also an opportunity to build a stronger Milwaukee and a stronger Wisconsin,” said Richard Diaz, Water Infrastructure Field Manager for BlueGreen Alliance and the film’s host. “This film shows that when we invest in our pipes, we aren’t just fixing infrastructure. We’re investing in union jobs and the health of every ZIP code.”