 |
 |
 Municipal Services Bill
 FAQs
|
|
Cold water seems warm
Lake Michigan is the source of drinking water for the Milwaukee Water Works, so the temperature of the drinking water depends on the temperature of the lake water. Warm lake water temperatures usually occur from August to mid-September, and, at times, into October. The average temperature of Milwaukee water is 46 degrees F., and the typical range in temperature is 32-70 degrees F.
The temperature of drinking water also depends on the length of the service lateral or water service to the house or building. The longer the lateral the warmer the water is likely to become.
If the cold water seems warm and you have a mixing faucet that mixes both hot and cold water at the same tap, the faucet may need maintenance. Periodically replace the cartridge in the faucet. Normal wear will sometimes allow more hot water than cold water to be added to the mix. Consult the owner's manual or call a plumber.
To have extra cold water available at all times, keep a clean container filled with water in the refrigerator.
 back to top
Cost of Milwaukee drinking water
Four gallons cost one cent or 413 gallons cost $1.00.
The Milwaukee Water Works bills for water use in hundred cubic feet, or Ccf. To convert your usage to gallons, multiply the water amount in Ccf by 748. The cost of 100 cubic feet of water, or 748 gallons, is $1.18 for Milwaukee customers. The average daily use per person is 54 gallons. Water rates are determined by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission based on cost of service, so all customers, including those who are tax-exempt, are charged fairly for the water they use.
More information is available in the Municipal Services Bill brochure
back to top
Fire hydrants
The Milwaukee Water Works maintains the 19,760 fire hydrants in the Cities of Milwaukee, Greenfield, St. Francis, and the Village of Hales Corners.
Inspection
A staff of four Hydrant Service Workers inspects 10,000 hydrants each year. We put a bar code label with the hydrant number on each hydrant. The number corresponds to the hydrant location and the Milwaukee Water Works hydrant database. During inspection, Hydrant Service Workers use handheld computers to scan the bar code on the hydrant and enter inspection data into the specific hydrant record. Each hydrant is operated fully during the inspection process and flushed thoroughly to move any stagnant water. Moving parts are inspected for wear. Any defects are reported for repair. The Milwaukee Water Works conducts annual flushing of approximately 1,000 hydrants that are located at the end of a dead end water main. This flushing helps ensure that fresh water is moved through the main.
In addition, while flushing each hydrant during inspection, the water is sampled using a portable turbidimeter to ensure the Milwaukee Water Works' water quality standards are met or exceeded throughout the distribution system. Any hydrant defects noted from the inspection are reported for repairs. When a hydrant is found to be inoperable, the Milwaukee Water Works promptly notifies the Fire Department of the out-of-service status and again when the hydrant repair is complete.
Hydrant identification rings
A plastic ring color system provides further identification of hydrants.
Yellow - The hydrant was taken out of service due to a problem. The appropriate Fire Department is notified. Water Distribution repair crews are promptly assigned to conduct necessary repairs.
White - For Fire Department use only. These hydrants may hold water in the standpipe after operation. The Milwaukee Water Works will check these hydrants each fall to ensure they are dry before freezing weather. With water in the standpipe the hydrant would freeze and be inoperable during the cold winter months. If the Fire Department uses one of these hydrants it notifies the Milwaukee Water Works to check it and clear it of any standing water.
Lime Green - The hydrant is in use by someone with a permit using a backflow prevention device.
Green - Private hydrant. The hydrant is not owned nor maintained by the Milwaukee Water Works.
Blue - The hydrant is located at the end of a dead end water main. These hydrants are flushed annually in addition to the inspection flushing.
Hydrant painting
Milwaukee Water Works hydrants are painted regularly. Painting maintains the finish and prevents corrosion. Most of the hydrants are painted traditional red. Yellow paint indicates a hydrant's water supply is from a water main different from the average installation. Most hydrants face the street and the water main to which they are connected. A yellow hydrant may face a street but may be connected to the water main on the side street or in the pedestrian way.
back to top
History of MWW
From a tiny village in 1830, Milwaukee grew quickly to a city of nearly 100,000 people in 1870. But it was a city without a municipal water or sewer system. Shallow wells, springs, streams, and vendors with "water wagons" provided water to residents. Before long, the shallow wells and streams were badly polluted. And, with limited water available for fire protection, any fire had the potential to spread to a large area of the city. The need for a public water supply became even more apparent.
In the early 1860s Milwaukee was too deeply in debt to secure financing for a water works. By 1868, however, things had improved somewhat, and the Common Council secured the services of E. S. Chesbrough, who had designed the Chicago water system, to do the same for Milwaukee.
A thorough man, Chesbrough considered not only Lake Michigan but also the upper Milwaukee river and inland lakes as possible sources of water supply. Water from inland sources would flow by gravity into the city, minimizing pumping costs. But these sources were limited, while Lake Michigan contained a seemingly inexhaustible supply of high quality water. So, despite higher pumping costs, Chesbrough chose Lake Michigan as the supply for Milwaukee water.
A Board of Water Commissioners under whose direction the original construction work of the water works was performed, held its first meeting on April 18, 1871, the official date of organization of the Milwaukee Water Works. Construction began early in 1872.
The first water works consisted of a pumping station on the lake shore (North Point) containing two steam pumping engines of eight million gallons per day (MGD) capacity each, a raw water intake, a standpipe (North Point Tower), a reservoir (Kilbourn Reservoir) and 58 miles of water distribution mains ranging in size from 6" to 36" in diameter.
By Fall 1873, after just two construction seasons and without the aid of modern equipment, this entire system was ready to be placed into operation, except for the North Point pumping station. Because of a now desperate need for fire protection, a portable steam pump, a shed, and piping were quickly erected on the west bank of the Milwaukee River, just north of the present North Avenue bridge. The pump was started on Oct. 24, 1873 and began to fill the Kilbourn Reservoir at the rate of about 800,000 gallons per day. By Nov. 3, the reservoir was nearly one-half full and water was released into the water mains. Four days later, the first fire was extinguished using water from hydrants. This fire, at 667 Marshall Street, was far from any other source of water.
On Sept. 14, 1874, the pumps at the North Point pumping station began pumping lake water into the distribution system. The temporary plant at the river was abandoned.
The cost of the original water works under the Board of Water Commissioners, up to 1875, was $1.9 million. The board financed the cost by a bond issue of $1.6 million bearing 7% interest.
In accordance with a charter provision, the control and management of the water works was relinquished to a Board of Public Works on July 1, 1875. From then until 1912, the utility was under the direction of the City Engineer, after which time it became a separate bureau, and later, a division of the Department of Public Works, directed by a Superintendent.
-- Excerpted from the book "A Century of Milwaukee Water," by Elmer W. Becker, MWW Superintendent 1964-1972, by Jim Meyer, MWW Accountant, 1967-2003
back to top
Ice cubes
Ice crystals trap air as they form and the water freezes. This makes ice cubes look cloudy.
Ice cubes stick to the ice cube tray
Minerals in the water and soap residue in the tray can cause ice cubes to stick to the tray. Try cleaning the ice cube trays with vinegar. Wash and rinse thoroughly before refilling with water.
The water from the faucet tastes wonderful, but the water from the dispenser in the refrigerator and the ice cubes taste bad.
The taste may be the result of buildup in the automatic icemaker, the water dispenser, and the hoses leading from your water source to the refrigerator. Follow the manufacturer's directions for operation and maintenance of your refrigerator to clean those parts and replace them and any filters as necessary.
back to top
Pryor Avenue Well
The Pryor Avenue Well, on Pryor Avenue between S. Superior and S. Wentworth Street in the Bay View area of Milwaukee, originally was an artesian well
but now a pump brings water from the well to the tap. The underground water table supplying artesian pressure was drawn down during the 1980s, forcing
the need for a pump.
The Milwaukee Water Works maintains the site of the well but does not treat the water. The Milwaukee Health Department periodically tests the well
water. The well water is higher in iron and sulfates than city water, but has similar fluoride content. The Water Works recommends Milwaukee's high
quality tap water, which is Lake Michigan water treated with ozone disinfection and biological filtration.
The Pryor Avenue Well dates back to 1883. The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission designated it a historic structure in 1987. The Pryor Avenue
well is the only public open well operating in Milwaukee.
back to top
Water mains
The Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) distribution system includes 1,960 miles of water mains and 19,760 fire hydrants.
Protecting the city's investment in infrastructure
The MWW repairs and maintains the water distribution piping system in Milwaukee, Greenfield, Hales Corners, and St. Francis to ensure continuous delivery of sufficient high-quality water. Scheduled maintenance activities include inspection and repair of facilities within planned paving projects, annual flushing of certain mains, leak surveys to identify non-surfacing water leaks, and a hydrant inspection program.
The capital improvement program provides a longterm template for infrastructure improvements. It addresses treatment processes and facilities, pumping and storage facilities, and water main replacement. Preventive maintenance is an important component of our assurance that our infrastructure is in top functional condition.
Sizes of water mains
Water mains form an underground network for distributing water. MWW uses 14 sizes of mains made of cast iron, ductile iron, and concrete.
The larger mains, or feeder mains, are in diameters of 20", 24", 30", 36", 42", 48", 54", and 60". These carry water from the pumping stations into the network of smaller distribution mains. The distribution mains are in diameters of 4", 6", 8", 12", and 16".
Causes of main breaks
A main break is a crack, split, or hole in the pipe from which water escapes. Some of the causes of main breaks are ground movement (e.g., due to frost penetration), changes in water pressure, corrosive soil conditions, electrical corrosion, being struck during excavation by other underground utility work, pressure from heavy traffic or construction, and normal age deterioration.
Almost half of the breaks in any given year occur in December, January, and February. Increased soil pressures, caused by freezing, thawing, and shifting, affect weak spots of a water main, causing breaks.
Most main breaks occur in the most prevalent diameters of pipe, 6" and 8". The MWW repairs an average of 709 main breaks per year. Because water mains are under a lot of pressure, there can be a large amount of water escaping even with a small hole.
Report a water main break
Call the Milwaukee Water Works 24-hour Control Center, (414) 286-3710.
The water main repair response
When a main break or water leak in the street is reported, the Control Center dispatches a Field Investigator to assess the situation and determine the appropriate utility response, authorize the call-out of repair crews if needed, and assist in obtaining materials, supplies, maps, and records to expedite repairs.
The Investigator determines if there is a water leak, and if so, takes steps to isolate the leak by operating underground valves. The valves are throttled to regulate the water flow and reduce the amount of water flowing while still providing water to customers. Although we don't want to waste water, we try to continue water service to customers as much as possible and minimize shutoffs. If the main break is creating damage that cannot be controlled by throttling the main, the water will be shut off without notice.
"We call before we dig"
The Wisconsin Diggers Hotline law requires the Milwaukee Water Works to notify all other utilities with underground equipment, cables, gas lines, etc., located near the main break. Before our crew is allowed to excavate for repairs, a representative from other underground utilities must assess the situation and provide the location of their facilities to avoid damage during excavation. This also protects our crews working on the site.
Water main repairs in progress
Once utilities are marked, the crew proceeds to locate the leak. Because water takes the path of least resistance, the place where the water is surfacing does not always correspond to the location of the break. To locate the break and avoid unnecessary excavating, the crew may drill test holes through the pavement. They then push metal probing rods through the holes to make contact with the water main and listen for the leak sound to better pinpoint the location of the escaping water. Once the crew locates the leak, they notify customers in the area of the water shutoff and give them time to draw a temporary supply of water while the crew sets up barricades and digging equipment.
"Don't wake me - just fix it"
The MWW repair crew will notify customers affected by the water shutoff by going door-to-door telling them to prepare for a water outage. Customers who do not answer will receive a door hanger on their front door. To avoid disturbing customers, we do not provide direct notification between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. At any time, customers may call the Milwaukee Water Works 24-hour Control Center, 414-286-3710, for information about the status of a repair.
Excavating and repair
The repair crew begins by installing environmental protection measures around the site to reduce the amount of erosion and runoff. Then they dig at the location of the leak. Once excavated, they protect the hole from collapsing. This is essential to protect workers. They remove some of the dirt around the main and replace it with new material, then repair the main. The crew then slowly opens a valve to allow water to flow from a hydrant. This reduces the amount of air trapped in the system and thoroughly flushes the main to ensure high quality water.
Once the repair is complete, the hole is filled and covered with blacktop as a temporary patch. The water is turned on fully and the site is cleaned up as much as possible. The Department of Public Works will schedule permanent site restoration and permanent pavement repair typically within two to four months, depending on the weather. Landscaping repairs for grassy areas in the public way are completed during non-winter weather months.
back to top
Water pressure
The water pressure entering buildings in the Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) service area averages between 40 and 74 pounds per square inch (psi). Generally, higher elevations have lower pressures.
back to top
Water softeners
Use of a water softener is a personal preference. Milwaukee water is considered moderately hard and generally, water softeners are not necessary.
Please note it is not healthy to drink water that has been softened by a water softener. Softened water contains high levels of sodium. If you prefer to use softened water for laundry and bathing, make sure your plumbing provides cold water that is not softened for drinking and cooking.
Learn more about Water softeners
back to top
Zebra mussels
Zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, are small, fingernail-sized, freshwater shellfish that were accidentally introduced to North America via ballast water from a transoceanic ship. Since their introduction in the mid 1980s, they have spread rapidly to all of the Great Lakes and an increasing number of inland waterways in the United States and Canada.
Zebra mussels colonize on surfaces such as water intake pipes and valves, docks, boat hulls, commercial fishing nets, native shellfish, and other zebra mussels. The Milwaukee Water Works uses chlorine to pre-treat Lake Michigan water that enters the intake cribs far below the surface of the water. The chlorine prevents zebra mussels from clogging the intake pipes.
Zebra mussels have had a great impact on the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy.
More information is available at the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Zebra Mussel Watch
back to top
|
|
|
|
City of Milwaukee | Department of Public Works
