Waukesha Water Utility

What Waukesha Water Utility does

Waukesha Water Utility is a municipal water and wastewater utility owned and operated by the City of Waukesha, Wisconsin, established in 1886 and serving all residential and commercial customers within the city's boundaries through a regulated monopoly franchise. The utility operates underground water main distribution infrastructure including service laterals, water meters, booster pumping stations, elevated storage tanks, and a treatment-to-return pipeline, sourcing 100% of its water from Lake Michigan via an interconnection with Milwaukee Water Works since October 2023, replacing a depleted deep aquifer source that contained elevated radium levels. Water is treated and 100% of used water is returned to Lake Michigan through the Root River tributary.

The utility's product portfolio spans core water and wastewater delivery, billing and payment processing (via an InvoiceCloud-powered online portal launched October 2024), water quality reporting, permit processing, conservation rebate programs (residential toilets, shower heads, rain barrels, water softener removal, and commercial custom incentives up to $20,000 per EIN per year), leak detection education, annual sprinkling ordinances, and water main flushing. Revenue is generated through monthly subscription-based water and wastewater billing, with rates regulated by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin; a 14.7% total bill increase was approved in 2023, and the Water Commission has signaled further rate increase requests in 2025. The utility is governed by a seven-member Water Utility Commission, employs 11–50 staff, and has no traditional equity ownership, with capital financed through municipal instruments including a $137.1 million EPA WIFIA loan for the Great Lakes Water Supply Program.

Distribution is exclusively direct-to-customer through the municipal pipe network within City of Waukesha limits; customers cannot choose alternative providers. The utility is supported by a 40-year water supply agreement with Milwaukee Water Works (signed December 2017) and was enabled by unanimous Great Lakes Compact Council approval (June 2016), a regulatory threshold that materially restricts competitive entry. Outreach spans a Revize-hosted website, Facebook, email/paperless billing, an extensive press release archive, community events, and a long-running K-12 water education program with the Waukesha School District since 1991.

Name

Waukesha Water Utility

Legal name

Waukesha Water Utility

Website

https://waukesha-water.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waukesha Water Utility is a municipal water and wastewater utility owned by the City of Waukesha, Wisconsin, delivering Lake Michigan-sourced water to all residential and commercial customers within city limits under a regulated monopoly franchise, with billing, conservation rebates, and water quality reporting as ancillary services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water and Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Water Reclamation & Reuse Production (Tertiary/Advanced Treatment) (EUANADAD)

Keywords

• Municipal water service
• Wastewater utility service
• Water conservation rebates
• Utility billing services
• Water quality reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Waukesha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water and Wastewater Service: Monthly billing for water and wastewater service to residential and commercial customers within the City of Waukesha. Rates are regulated by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. The utility has implemented rate increases, including a 14.7% total water bill increase approved in 2023.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Waukesha Water Utility delivers regulated municipal water and wastewater service to all residents and businesses within the City of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Since October 2023, the utility supplies 100% Lake Michigan water delivered through a pipeline interconnection with Milwaukee Water Works, replacing a depleted deep-aquifer groundwater source. Service includes monthly metered billing via an online InvoiceCloud payment portal, water conservation rebates and incentives, leak detection support, Consumer Confidence Reports, and water main flushing.

Product overview

Waukesha Water Utility is a municipal water utility established in 1886 serving the City of Waukesha, Wisconsin. The utility provides a comprehensive portfolio of water and wastewater services including water delivery and distribution, billing and payment processing, water quality monitoring and reporting, conservation programs with rebates and incentives, leak detection education, permit processing, and regulatory compliance. In October 2023, the utility completed its transition from depleted groundwater sources to Lake Michigan water supplied via Milwaukee Water Works. The utility's conservation program includes annual sprinkling ordinances, residential and commercial rebates for water-efficient fixtures, business incentives for custom water-use efficiency projects, and water education outreach programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water and Wastewater Service Regulated monthly water and wastewater service for residential and commercial customers within the City of Waukesha, with rates set by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
• Online Bill Payment Portal (InvoiceCloud) Customer-facing online platform for viewing and paying water and wastewater bills, offering paperless billing, AutoPay, pay by phone, pay by text, and scheduled payments.
• Water Conservation Rebate Program Rebate program for residential customers including toilet rebates ($100), shower head rebates ($25), rain barrel rebates ($20 per barrel up to 2), and water softener removal rebates ($200).
• Business Water Conservation Incentives Pre-approved custom water-use efficiency incentives for commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family customers, providing up to $20,000 per calendar year per EIN.
• Multi-Family Toilet Rebate Program Rebate of up to $100 per WaterSense 1.28 gpf toilet for multi-family properties replacing 1993 or older toilets, with a maximum of $10,000 per customer and pre-approval required.
• New Customer Account Setup Account setup services for new residential and commercial customers, including change of address, seasonal billing address management, and final bill processing for property sales with prorated closing arrangements.
• Water Service Permits and Applications Processing of new water service applications, additional water meter applications, hydrant meter applications, irrigation meter applications, private well permits, and bid pre-qualification forms.
• Consumer Confidence Reports Annual water quality reports issued in cooperation with Milwaukee Water Works, providing test results and water quality data as required by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
• Water Main Flushing Seasonal (spring and fall) flushing program that opens hydrants to remove sediment from city water mains, maintaining water quality across the distribution system.
• Leak Detection and High-Usage Support Education and guidance for customers on identifying and addressing silent leaks, including leak indicator checks on water meters, meter reading procedures, toilet dye tests, and water softener inspections.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exceeded water conservation savings goals established for 2030 and 2050 by 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Great Water AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Partnership entity managing the Great Lakes Water Supply Program construction project including pipeline from Milwaukee to Waukesha and booster pumping stations. Groundbreaking occurred December 2020, project achieved 50% completion in February 2022, and was completed on time and on budget.
• Milwaukee Water Works (MWW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 201740-year water supply agreement where Milwaukee Water Works provides Lake Michigan water to Waukesha via pipeline. MWW maintains an extensive, nationally recognized water quality monitoring program testing for more than 500 substances. Waukesha began receiving water in October 2023 after three-year construction period.
• Great Lakes Compact CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2016Regional body comprising Great Lakes governors that unanimously approved Waukesha's application to change water source from groundwater to Lake Michigan surface water on June 21, 2016. Required approval under Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Green Bay Water Utility: Wisconsin municipal water utility serving a similar mid-sized city with drinking water supply, distribution, and conservation rebates. Operates under the same state regulatory framework (NR 852, PSCW) and serves a comparable residential/commercial customer mix.
• Madison Water Utility: Wisconsin municipal water utility providing drinking water supply, distribution, and conservation programs under the same PSCW and WDNR oversight. Directly comparable in business model, regulatory regime, and customer base mix.
• Milwaukee Water Works: Wholesale water supplier to Waukesha via 40-year agreement and one of the largest municipal water utilities in Wisconsin. Operates the same drinking water supply, distribution, and water quality reporting model and shares the same Great Lakes regulatory framework.
• Kenosha Water Utility: Municipal water utility serving Kenosha, Wisconsin with the same drinking water supply, distribution, and customer billing model. Operates under identical Wisconsin state regulation and serves a similar mid-sized Great Lakes regional customer base.

Regional players

• Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District: Wisconsin regional wastewater treatment authority serving the greater Madison area under the same WDNR regulatory framework. Relevant peer for the wastewater service component of WWU's operations and for shared compliance, biosolids, and discharge permitting experience.

Broad incumbents

• California Water Service Group: Investor-owned water utility serving more than 2 million customers in California, Hawaii, Washington, and New Mexico. Provides a comparable regulated water utility benchmark with similar capex-driven rate base and conservation program structures.
• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded investor-owned water and wastewater utility in the U.S., serving over 14 million people across 14 states. Provides a scaled, publicly traded benchmark for rate base, capex programs, and regulated water utility economics analogous to Waukesha's municipal model.
• Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America): Investor-owned water and natural gas utility serving over 5 million people across 10 states, with regulated water/wastewater rates similar to PSCW oversight. Comparable regulated utility economics and infrastructure-heavy rate base model.
• Veolia North America: Operates municipal water and wastewater contracts across North America, including outsourced operations for municipal systems. Comparable in technical scope (treatment, distribution, compliance) and in serving municipal customers under regulated frameworks.
• Severn Trent plc: UK-listed regulated water and wastewater company serving 4.5 million households. Provides an international benchmark for regulated water utility operations, conservation program design, and infrastructure capex execution similar in spirit to WWU's recent $137M water supply build-out.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofwaukesha

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waukesha Water Utility