Photo: Utah State University

A report grading water efficiency gives the Great Lakes states some low marks.

Wisconsin scored the highest in the region with a B-. Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania were tied for the lowest grade with a D.

Wisconsin got high marks for availability of technical assistance and for water conservation planning, according to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a non-profit group, and the Environmental Law Institute, a legal consulting firm.

“Wisconsin represents how water conservation planning can vary by source,” the report said. “Wisconsin has one generally applicable planning process for public water suppliers, and another planning process only applicable to large withdrawers from the Great Lakes Basin.”

The report also showed dryer, southwestern states with higher grades than the national average, C. Perhaps dry states are more efficient because they must make due with less. Could our states be taking our lakes for granted?

Great Lakes states by grade:

Wisconsin         B-

Minnesota        C+

New York          C

Illinois               C-

Indiana             C-

Michigan           D

Ohio                  D

Pennsylvania    D