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Madison Water Utility

Water Utility

Joseph Grande, Interim General Manager

  • Founded in 1882

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  1. City of Madison
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  3. Inside MWU

Sustainability

  • 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 »
  • Average aquifer levels highest in a generation Posted 08/06/2019

    Groundwater levels below the state Capitol building show rebounding trend --- 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 »
  • Two Madison Water Utility projects getting national attention Posted 03/20/2018

    Read more »
  • Water use in Madison drops to lowest level in 50 years Posted 01/19/2018

    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. “I got an alert after a couple of days that we had used a tremendously high amount of water. And I thought, ‘Oh, this is ridiculous. This must just be a mistake.’” It wasn’t. Read more »
  • Imagine a Day Without Water Posted 10/05/2017

    Madison uses 27 million gallons of water a day. Can you imagine one day without it? Read more »
  • What does your water dollar pay for? Posted 07/28/2017

      The average family living in a house in Madison pays just over $19 a month for water. (Other charges like sewer, stormwater, landfill and urban forestry also appear on the Municipal Services Bill, but those charges are not levied by Madison Water Utility.)     So how exactly does that money get spent? Here's a look: Read more »
  • Saving Madison from salt Posted 12/02/2016

    New WI Salt Wise campaign looks to educate the community about road salt as concerns grow over water contamination ---   Read more »
  • Reminder: The Great Showerhead Giveaway happening this Saturday! Posted 11/16/2016

      Read more »
  • All eyes on the aquifer: Is Madison's water supply sustainable? Posted 06/19/2015

    (Photo: A camera is lowered into a Madison Water Utility well bore hole, revealing an aquifer far below the city) --- Read more »
  • Our graywater experiment: 10 years and counting Posted 04/21/2015

    Read more »
  • The Water Wagon: A cool lesson in sustainability Posted 09/04/2014

    To book the Water Wagon or see scheduled events, head to our  Water Wagon web page. --- Read more »
  • East Johnson Street: No Ordinary Construction Zone Posted 06/30/2014

    Infrastructure unearthed Everything that makes modern life possible is buried under East Johnson Street. It might sound like an overstatement, until you get a rare glimpse of Madison's complex web of infrastructure, temporarily exposed some six feet below the street's surface. Read more »
  • Major public works project set to begin on north side Posted 06/02/2014

    A new life for Well 7 For 75 years it has stood on North Sherman Avenue, shaded by a maple tree, quietly pumping millions of gallons of water to homes and businesses across Madison's north side. But the facility, known simply as Well 7, doesn't get a lot of second looks – or even first looks. 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 »
  • Why all the main breaks? Posted 01/08/2014

    Aging infrastructure meets extreme weather It's 1:00 a.m. on a brutally cold Monday morning, and the call comes in – a six-inch wide water main has ruptured beneath East Badger Road. It's the first of 8 main break calls that will push Madison Water Utility crews to work back-to-back shifts for the next 24 hours. Read more »
  • Madison getting its first new water well in a decade Posted 11/27/2013

    Slowly but surely It's not easy to drill a 915-foot hole – it takes weeks of cold, wet, muddy work. "You have to go slow to get it straight," says Madison Water Utility design and construction engineer Dennis Cawley. "You don't drill rock out fast." Read more »
  • Madison Water Utility builds new water mains -- inside the old ones Posted 10/31/2013

      Embracing new technology Imagine Badger Rd. completely gutted – nothing but dirt and gravel, impassable for months. Same story for West Mifflin St. and Lake Mendota Drive. It's what would have happened had Madison Water Utility chosen to dig up and replace the aging water mains that run beneath those streets.  Read more »
  • Well hunters: Finding Madison's long-hidden private wells Posted 10/22/2013

      Going door-to-door Kevin Miller has been knocking on a lot of doors lately, but he's not selling anything. He's searching for something. I usually say, 'I'm here to look for private wells.' And then I get the questions, 'Why would you be doing that?'" Read more »
  • Bad Medicine Posted 10/07/2013

    Updated on May, 14, 2015 - 11:00am Initiative aims to keep pharmaceuticals out of our wastewater and landfills It's an alarming thought – prescription drugs like anti-depressants, hormones, painkillers, antibiotics, and steroids showing up in the water supply. But it's happening in cities across the country, especially those that get their water from lakes and rivers. Read more »

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Recent Articles

  • 01/11 WI Salt Awareness Week examines environmental damage caused by road salt
  • 05/18 Reopening soon? Make sure your water is safe.
  • 04/15 Staying at home is changing the way Madison uses water
  • 02/06 “Got Water?” project announces 2020 hydration station schools!

Archive

2021
January
  • WI Salt Awareness Week examines environmental damage caused by road salt
2020
May
  • Reopening soon? Make sure your water is safe.
April
  • Staying at home is changing the way Madison uses water
February
  • “Got Water?” project announces 2020 hydration station schools!
January
  • Madison Water Utility reports unprecedented drop in city’s water use
2019
December
  • "We'll be doing this forever." Understanding the impact of PFAS
November
  • Final segment of decade-long water main project underway
September
  • EVERY DROP MADISON poll closes soon!
August
  • Average aquifer levels highest in a generation
June
  • Toilet Rebate Program hits 1 billion gallons of water saved!
  • Lost Lou and Peter Barryman tune about conservation gets new life.
April
  • Worst-case: What happens when a water main breaks under an airport taxiway?
  • Flushing program puts Madison "on the forefront"
February
  • Wild February weather takes toll on water mains
January
  • Annual water use in Madison drops by a billion gallons in six years
  • “Got Water?” initiative reaches more than 11,000 students
2018
October
  • Imagine a Day Without Water
September
  • Madison Water Utility adds first new well in more than a decade
August
  • High school students get hands-on training at MWU
July
  • Widely used chemicals detected in two Madison wells
  • A funny song about a serious thing
April
  • What’s under Monroe Street?
March
  • Two Madison Water Utility projects getting national attention
February
  • Finding Madison's foxes
January
  • Water use in Madison drops to lowest level in 50 years
2017
December
  • Worst winter ever? Lessons learned from the "polar vortex" winter of 2013-14
  • Catching catastrophic plumbing problems -- through email
October
  • Imagine a Day Without Water
September
  • 100 miles of main
August
  • A funny song about a serious thing
July
  • What does your water dollar pay for?
  • Saving Madison from salt
May
  • Bidding farewell to Madison’s “legacy” main
March
  • Partnership with Project Home making an impact
February
  • What does your water dollar pay for?
  • Into the bore hole: Tackling the road salt problem at a west side well
January
  • Madison Water Utility turns 135!
2016
December
  • Saving Madison from salt
November
  • Reminder: The Great Showerhead Giveaway happening this Saturday!
October
  • Madisonians cite safety and conservation as top water issues
September
  • Imagine a day without water
August
  • You can now register to vote at Madison Water Utility!
  • Why add chlorine? The story behind water disinfection
July
  • You have a voice! MWU seeks public input on critical water issues
April
  • Water main flushing puts Madison "on the forefront"
March
  • How low can we go?
February
  • Why all the main breaks?
January
  • EPA looks to Madison as leader on lead pipe issue
2015
November
  • World War II-era journals discovered at construction site
October
  • Saving Madison from salt
August
  • Planned Blackhawk Water Tower signals growth on the far west side
  • MWU invests millions in water infrastructure on northeast side
  • Madison woman gets serious about water conservation, wins an iPad
July
  • MWU customers catch plumbing leaks – online
June
  • All eyes on the aquifer: Is Madison's water supply sustainable?
May
  • MWU releases Annual Water Quality Report
April
  • Our graywater experiment: 10 years and counting
January
  • No easy answers for Well 8
  • Frozen on the inside: Indoor flooding season is here
2014
December
  • As Safe Drinking Water Act turns 40, Madison ramps up testing
November
  • EPA seeks details of Madison’s Lead Service Replacement Program
October
  • Madison Water Utility first in state to launch "ultimate conservation tool"
September
  • The Water Wagon: A cool lesson in sustainability
  • New downtown community garden takes root in unlikely spot
August
  • Taking safety seriously: The story behind water chlorination
June
  • East Johnson Street: No Ordinary Construction Zone
  • Major public works project set to begin on north side
May
  • When there's a fire: MWU's critical mission
April
  • Wisconsin Water for the World: Making a difference one village at a time
  • Flushing program puts Madison "on the forefront"
March
  • When winter's over: the lasting impact of road salt
  • Blindsided: When drivers don't see work zones
February
  • Paying for Progress
  • The winter that won't be forgotten
January
  • The long road to smart meters
  • Why all the main breaks?
2013
December
  • Going in the hole: Madison Water Utility crews take on main break season
  • Frozen on the inside: Indoor flooding season is here
November
  • Madison getting its first new water well in a decade
  • Rebuilding pride in Paterson
  • Lake View Reservoir reconstruction sparks neighborhood interest
October
  • Madison Water Utility builds new water mains -- inside the old ones
  • Well hunters: Finding Madison's long-hidden private wells
  • Madison women make history -- with a little help from their friends
  • Bad Medicine
September
  • Sometimes, it's what you don't see
  • Rediscovering the reservoir
  • MWU honored for winning Best-Tasting Water in the state!
August
  • Unearthing Madison's history
  • Our graywater experiment: 8 years and counting
  • Wisconsin's first ever women's tapping team created at MWU

Category

Uncategorized

  • A funny song about a serious thing

  • Reminder: The Great Showerhead Giveaway happening this Saturday!

  • Flushing program puts Madison "on the forefront"

  • Paying for Progress

  • The long road to smart meters

  • Going in the hole: Madison Water Utility crews take on main break season

  • Madison getting its first new water well in a decade

  • Rebuilding pride in Paterson

  • Lake View Reservoir reconstruction sparks neighborhood interest

  • Madison Water Utility builds new water mains -- inside the old ones

  • Well hunters: Finding Madison's long-hidden private wells

History

  • What’s under Monroe Street?

  • Finding Madison's foxes

  • Bidding farewell to Madison’s “legacy” main

  • Madison Water Utility turns 135!

  • World War II-era journals discovered at construction site

  • EPA seeks details of Madison’s Lead Service Replacement Program

  • Rediscovering the reservoir

  • Unearthing Madison's history

Our People

  • Worst-case: What happens when a water main breaks under an airport taxiway?

  • Imagine a Day Without Water

  • High school students get hands-on training at MWU

  • Worst winter ever? Lessons learned from the "polar vortex" winter of 2013-14

  • Imagine a day without water

  • MWU releases Annual Water Quality Report

  • EPA seeks details of Madison’s Lead Service Replacement Program

  • Madison women make history -- with a little help from their friends

  • Sometimes, it's what you don't see

  • MWU honored for winning Best-Tasting Water in the state!

  • Wisconsin's first ever women's tapping team created at MWU

Serving the Community

  • “Got Water?” project announces 2020 hydration station schools!

  • Final segment of decade-long water main project underway

  • Toilet Rebate Program hits 1 billion gallons of water saved!

  • Worst-case: What happens when a water main breaks under an airport taxiway?

  • Wild February weather takes toll on water mains

  • “Got Water?” initiative reaches more than 11,000 students

  • Imagine a Day Without Water

  • Madison Water Utility adds first new well in more than a decade

  • High school students get hands-on training at MWU

  • Two Madison Water Utility projects getting national attention

  • Imagine a Day Without Water

  • What does your water dollar pay for?

  • Partnership with Project Home making an impact

  • What does your water dollar pay for?

  • You can now register to vote at Madison Water Utility!

  • Planned Blackhawk Water Tower signals growth on the far west side

  • MWU invests millions in water infrastructure on northeast side

  • Frozen on the inside: Indoor flooding season is here

  • Madison Water Utility first in state to launch "ultimate conservation tool"

  • The Water Wagon: A cool lesson in sustainability

  • New downtown community garden takes root in unlikely spot

  • East Johnson Street: No Ordinary Construction Zone

  • Major public works project set to begin on north side

  • When there's a fire: MWU's critical mission

  • Wisconsin Water for the World: Making a difference one village at a time

  • Blindsided: When drivers don't see work zones

  • The winter that won't be forgotten

  • Frozen on the inside: Indoor flooding season is here

  • Bad Medicine

Sustainability

  • WI Salt Awareness Week examines environmental damage caused by road salt

  • Staying at home is changing the way Madison uses water

  • Madison Water Utility reports unprecedented drop in city’s water use

  • Final segment of decade-long water main project underway

  • EVERY DROP MADISON poll closes soon!

  • Average aquifer levels highest in a generation

  • Toilet Rebate Program hits 1 billion gallons of water saved!

  • Lost Lou and Peter Barryman tune about conservation gets new life.

  • Flushing program puts Madison "on the forefront"

  • Wild February weather takes toll on water mains

  • Annual water use in Madison drops by a billion gallons in six years

  • Madison Water Utility adds first new well in more than a decade

  • A funny song about a serious thing

  • Water use in Madison drops to lowest level in 50 years

  • Catching catastrophic plumbing problems -- through email

  • 100 miles of main

  • Saving Madison from salt

  • You have a voice! MWU seeks public input on critical water issues

  • How low can we go?

  • Why all the main breaks?

  • Madison woman gets serious about water conservation, wins an iPad

  • MWU customers catch plumbing leaks – online

  • All eyes on the aquifer: Is Madison's water supply sustainable?

  • Our graywater experiment: 10 years and counting

  • Madison Water Utility first in state to launch "ultimate conservation tool"

  • When winter's over: the lasting impact of road salt

  • Why all the main breaks?

  • Bad Medicine

  • Our graywater experiment: 8 years and counting

Water quality

  • Reopening soon? Make sure your water is safe.

  • "We'll be doing this forever." Understanding the impact of PFAS

  • EVERY DROP MADISON poll closes soon!

  • Imagine a Day Without Water

  • Widely used chemicals detected in two Madison wells

  • Saving Madison from salt

  • Into the bore hole: Tackling the road salt problem at a west side well

  • Saving Madison from salt

  • Madisonians cite safety and conservation as top water issues

  • Why add chlorine? The story behind water disinfection

  • Water main flushing puts Madison "on the forefront"

  • EPA looks to Madison as leader on lead pipe issue

  • Saving Madison from salt

  • No easy answers for Well 8

  • As Safe Drinking Water Act turns 40, Madison ramps up testing

  • Taking safety seriously: The story behind water chlorination

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Water Utility

Water Utility Administrative Office
119 East Olin Avenue
Madison, WI 53713
  • Report Main Break/Emergency: (608) 266-4661
  • Report Emergency After Hours: (608) 266-4665
  • Office: (608) 266-4651
  • Fax: (608) 266-4426
  • Office Hours: 7:30am - 4:00pm, M-F
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