Water Utility Overview of Services

The Wauwatosa Water Utility was established in 1897 to provide a safe, uninterrupted supply of high quality water to the citizens of Wauwatosa.  In 2008 the Utlility supplied the 15,512 customers of Wauwatosa with 1,826,165,704 gallons of fresh water.  The source of this water was Lake Michigan, which is one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world.  The water distributed by the Utility is purchased from the Milwaukee Water Works, which performs all the necessary water filtration and treatment.  Water distributed by the Utility complies with all Federal and State drinking water quality regulations.  In addition to providing water for daily use by our customers, the Utility also provides fire protection for the community by maintaining 2,087 fire hydrants throughout the system. 

Unlike other City Departments, the Utility is not supported through the property tax, sewer or storm water billing.  The Utility is an enterprise fund of the City and is self supporting through the sale of water and related services to its customers.  The Utility operates independently from the Public Works Department, with oversight by the Board of Public Works and the Common Council.  In addition, the Utility comes under the regulation of the Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Public Service Commission, which also sets the water rates.