Conservation
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Madison Water Utility reports unprecedented drop in city’s water use Posted 01/23/2020
Pump test for Well 31 on Tradewinds Parkway, Madison's only new well since 2006 Read more » -
EVERY DROP MADISON poll closes soon! Posted 09/25/2019
Click here to take the poll --- We’ve had a great response to the EVERY DROP MADISON poll so far, but there are still a few days left to give your input on the next phase of water conservation and sustainability in Madison. Read more » -
Toilet Rebate Program hits 1 billion gallons of water saved! Posted 06/13/2019
A cornerstone of Madison’s water conservation initiative reaches a major milestone – one flush at a time --- There’s nothing all that exciting about a toilet. But 17,126 toilets? That’s another story. Read more » -
Lost Lou and Peter Barryman tune about conservation gets new life. Posted 06/06/2019
"A Little Water" appears on Lou and Peter Barryman's newest CD, "OK, So Far..." --- Photo: Lou and Peter Barryman record the video for their song, "A Little Water" --- Read more » -
Annual water use in Madison drops by a billion gallons in six years Posted 01/17/2019
City hits water conservation and sustainability goal set in 2006 --- (Photo: Pump test for Well 31, brought online in 2018. It was Madison's first new well in 12 years.) Read more » -
Madison Water Utility adds first new well in more than a decade Posted 09/10/2018
Inside Madison's newest municipal well on Tradewinds Parkway --- Madison’s water system was supposed to look a lot different by now. According to Madison Water Utility’s 2006 Master Plan, the utility would add as many as seven new municipal water wells before 2020, bringing additional supply to every part of the city. Read more » -
Catching catastrophic plumbing problems -- through email Posted 12/18/2017
----- The last thing you want to hear during a vacation is bad news from home. But that’s exactly what Carol Philipps got during a recent trip to San Francisco – and it came from Madison Water Utility. Read more » -
A funny song about a serious thing Posted 08/08/2017
Old tune resurfaces after sitting for years on a shelf at Madison Water Utility Read more » -
Partnership with Project Home making an impact Posted 03/23/2017
It’s not every day that someone gets excited about a toilet. “It looks so nice. It really does!” But for 72 year-old Gloria LeMay, the new toilet is just part of a whole two days of excitement. Local non-profit Project Home is replacing her toilet, fixing a tub faucet leak, installing new windows and repairing a broken ceiling fan in her condo. Read more » -
Reminder: The Great Showerhead Giveaway happening this Saturday! Posted 11/16/2016
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How low can we go? Posted 03/10/2016
Madison's annual water use hits a 47-year low, but utility officials push for more. (Photo: Pump test for Well 31 on Madison's southeast side. It will be the city's first new well in more than a decade.) --- Read more » -
MWU customers catch plumbing leaks – online Posted 07/17/2015
A “leak” doesn’t sound like much – a dripping faucet here, a running toilet there – but it all adds up. In the U.S., more than a trillion gallons of treated drinking water are lost every year to residential plumbing leaks, and for homeowners, catching a problem can be a real challenge. Read more » -
Our graywater experiment: 10 years and counting Posted 04/21/2015
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Madison Water Utility first in state to launch "ultimate conservation tool" Posted 10/17/2014
What customers have been waiting for How much water do you use watering your lawn? How about doing laundry or taking a shower? Madison Water Utility customer service representative Pam Mousley says there used to be just one way to find out. “You could go down (in the basement), read your meter, take a shower, and then go down and read your meter again. You could do that,” she says. Read more » -
When winter's over: the lasting impact of road salt Posted 03/24/2014
(For more information on the impact of road salt in Wisconsin and what you can do to help, head to www.WiSaltWise.com.) "Ominous trend" Read more » -
The long road to smart meters Posted 01/29/2014
Out of the dark ages In 2010, Madison Water Utility had a decision to make. The device it had been using for decades to record water use inside Madison homes was about to become obsolete. "They were going to quit manufacturing our Read-o-Matic system that was first introduced in 1958," recalls MWU customer service manager Robin Piper. "We knew we had to come up with a new way to read meters." Read more » -
Sometimes, it's what you don't see Posted 09/25/2013
The stories keep coming in – the landlord who found a broken showerhead spewing water in an unoccupied apartment; the man with a silently running toilet; the couple unaware that a burst hose was gushing in their yard. "They normally say, 'It's impossible. There's no way for that much water to be used and I wouldn't notice it,'" says Madison Water Utility customer service representative Sherri Becker, who often fields calls from customers who've gotten a "continuous usage" letter from the utility to alert them about a possible water leak. Read more » -
MWU honored for winning Best-Tasting Water in the state! Posted 09/04/2013
Darn tasty water It's not every day that MWU employees stand before the Madison Common Council surrounded by cheers and applause. But it's also not every day that the city is honored by the Wisconsin Water Association (WWA) for having the best-tasting water in the state. Read more » -
Our graywater experiment: 8 years and counting Posted 08/20/2013
"Toilet uses recycled water." The simple placards posted in every restroom stall at Madison Water Utility's Olin St. offices are among the few small hints you'll find of the Utility's big experiment in water conservation – the first large-scale graywater system ever installed in Madison. Read more »