Madison Water Utility
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1882
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Madison Water Utility firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Madison Water Utility industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Madison Water Utility is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Madison Water Utility business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential and commercial water service rates |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Madison Water Utility product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Madison Water Utility
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Madison Water Utility technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Madison Water Utility partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Madison Water Utility competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Madison Water Utility social profiles
Digital presenceMadison Water Utility compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Madison Water Utility financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Madison Water Utility leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Madison Water Utility funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Madison Water Utility M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Madison Water Utility
What does Madison Water Utility do?
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.
Is Madison Water Utility a public or private company?
Madison Water Utility is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Madison Water Utility founded?
Madison Water Utility was founded in 1882. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Madison Water Utility based?
Madison Water Utility is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does Madison Water Utility make money?
One revenue line is on record: water Service Fees.
Who are Madison Water Utility's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Denver Water, Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Philadelphia Water Department, San Antonio Water System (SAWS), Seattle Public Utilities and Greater Cincinnati Water Works. American Water Works Association is listed as an others. Direct peers are Cleveland Water and Milwaukee Water Works. Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District is listed as a regional player.
Does Madison Water Utility have an API?
No public API is recorded for Madison Water Utility.
What industry is Madison Water Utility in?
Madison Water Utility's product category is Municipal Water Utility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANAAAE, Drinking Water Distribution Network Operations (Mains, Valves, Hydrants, Service Lines), with a secondary code of EUANAAAB, Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations). Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4941.