Madison Water Utility

What Madison Water Utility does

Madison Water Utility is a municipal water utility founded in 1882 and operated as a department of the City of Madison, Wisconsin. The utility provides drinking water to residential and commercial customers within the City of Madison through well-based source water systems and an owned distribution network. Its core technology is municipal water infrastructure, including production wells and treatment facilities, with current capital projects focused on Well 12 Reconstruction and Well 19 Iron, Manganese & Radium Treatment. The utility also publishes an Annual Drinking Water Quality Report demonstrating compliance with federal and state health and safety standards, and offers an online Water Quality Lookup Tool that allows residents to identify which wells serve their address.

The business model is subscription-based monthly water service billing, with rates regulated by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW). Revenue is derived from water service fees charged to residential and commercial customers under approved rate schedules. The utility also operates the Madison Customer Assistance Program (MadCAP), which provides bill assistance to qualifying low-income residents. The customer base is horizontally segmented into residential customers (primary), commercial customers, and low-income residents receiving assistance. The utility conducts public engagement through a blog, email alerts, and social media channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube), and conducts in-person board meetings open to the public.

Operationally, the utility is led by General Manager Christine Knapp (appointed June 25, 2026), succeeding Krishna Kumar. The main office is at 119 East Olin Ave, Madison, WI, with service hours of 7:30am to 4:00pm. Emergency response is available 24/7 via dedicated main break and after-hours lines. As a municipal government entity, Madison Water Utility is not privately held, not venture-backed, and does not engage in fundraising, M&A, or equity issuance. Its capital structure is funded through regulated rates and municipal financing rather than private capital markets.

Name

Madison Water Utility

Legal name

City of Madison Water Utility

Website

https://madisonwater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Madison Water Utility is a municipal water utility founded in 1882, operating as a department of the City of Madison, Wisconsin. It provides drinking water to residential and commercial customers through owned well and distribution infrastructure, with rates regulated by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water 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

Drinking Water Distribution Network Operations (Mains, Valves, Hydrants, Service Lines) (EUANAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Municipal water utility
• Drinking water supply
• Water quality reporting
• Customer assistance program
• Well water infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water Service Fees: Municipal water utility charges for water service to residential and commercial customers. Revenue generated through monthly billing based on water consumption and applicable rate schedules. Rates are subject to approval by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Madison Water Utility is a municipal water utility operated as part of Madison's Public Works department. It supplies drinking water to the Madison community by drawing from 22 active wells in the Madison area. The utility has been operating since 1882 and provides residential drinking water service along with a customer assistance program (MadCAP) and water quality reporting.

Product overview

Madison Water Utility is a municipal water utility founded in 1882, providing drinking water services to the City of Madison, WI. The utility operates infrastructure including wells for water sourcing and distribution. Key services include water quality management, billing and rates, customer assistance programs (MadCAP), and public education. Current major projects include Well 12 Reconstruction and Well 19 treatment upgrades. The utility publishes annual drinking water quality reports demonstrating compliance with federal and state standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Drinking Water Supply
• MadCAP Customer Assistance Program
• Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
• Water Quality Lookup Tool
• Well 12 Reconstruction Project
• Well 19 Treatment Pumping Station 115

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Denver Water: Municipal water provider serving the Denver metropolitan area with drinking water sourced from mountain watersheds. Comparable as a well-established municipal utility with significant infrastructure investment programs and customer service orientation.
• Boston Water and Sewer Commission: Independent quasi-municipal water and sewer utility serving Boston. Comparable as an established water utility with rate-regulated operations, customer assistance programs, and active infrastructure capital programs.
• Philadelphia Water Department: Municipal water, wastewater, and stormwater utility serving Philadelphia. Comparable in offering customer assistance programs, infrastructure renewal programs, and operating under a regulated municipal utility model with rate board oversight.
• San Antonio Water System (SAWS): Large municipal water utility providing drinking water, wastewater, and recycled water services to San Antonio, Texas. Comparable in business model (municipal utility with exclusive service territory) and customer assistance programs, though at a significantly larger scale.
• Seattle Public Utilities: Combined water, wastewater, solid waste, and drainage utility serving Seattle. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest municipal utility with active capital improvement programs, water quality reporting, and customer assistance offerings.
• Greater Cincinnati Water Works: Municipal water utility serving Cincinnati and surrounding communities. Comparable in operating a multi-well surface and groundwater system, providing customer assistance, and executing multi-year capital improvement plans under regulatory oversight.

Others

• American Water Works Association: Industry association representing North American water utilities, standards-setting body, and resource provider for municipal water systems. Comparable not as a competitor but as a peer institutional reference for utility benchmarking, standards, and best practices that shape Madison Water Utility's operating environment.

Direct peers

• Cleveland Water: Mid-sized municipal water utility serving the Cleveland metropolitan area. Comparable in scale, water source profile (Lake Erie-based treatment), infrastructure renewal needs, and rate-regulated municipal utility structure.
• Milwaukee Water Works: Another Wisconsin municipal water utility providing drinking water service to a major Wisconsin city. Directly comparable in regulatory environment (PSCW oversight), geography, and core municipal water utility operations.

Regional players

• Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District: Separate municipal wastewater utility serving the Madison, Wisconsin region. Operates alongside Madison Water Utility in the same local utility ecosystem, providing a directly adjacent infrastructure peer for benchmarking operational and capital practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MadWaterUtility
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MadWaterUtility
• Facebookfacebook.com/madisonwater
• Instagraminstagram.com/madison_water
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/madison-water-utility

Compliance1 record

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 Madison Water Utility