Marshalltown Municipal Water Works

What Marshalltown Municipal Water Works does

Marshalltown Municipal Water Works (MWW) is a municipally owned water utility that has provided treated drinking water to the City of Marshalltown, Iowa since 1876. The utility serves 10,127 residential and commercial accounts through a distribution network of approximately 160 miles of water main, 4 water towers, and 1 booster station, drawing source water from 10 wells. At its treatment plant, MWW softens and disinfects groundwater, producing an average of 6.5 million gallons per day with peak-day output reaching 9–10 million gallons; a 6 MGD capacity expansion incorporating a reverse osmosis membrane treatment train is currently underway.

MWW operates as a regulated monopoly: water rates and the non-water portions of the bill (sewer, storm sewer, landfill) are set by the Marshalltown City Council, and the utility is governed by a three-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Mayor. Revenue is generated through usage-based water charges calculated per 100 cubic feet of consumption plus a base charge by meter size, with bills issued bimonthly and an optional monthly budget billing plan available. Payment channels include mail, drop box, auto-pay, phone, and online via a municipal online payments portal, with a $2.75 convenience fee on phone and online channels. The utility also administers a Backflow Prevention / Cross Connection Program and partners with HomeServe to offer an optional exterior water service line warranty program to homeowners. Additional services include paperless billing, account notifications (phone/text/email), annual hydrant flushing, utility locate coordination via Iowa One-Call (811), and Consumer Confidence Reports published annually in English and Spanish.

The operating model is fundamentally infrastructure-based and non-discretionary: customers in the service territory cannot choose an alternative provider, and customer acquisition is therefore a function of municipal build-out rather than competitive go-to-market. The 6 MGD treatment plant expansion and reverse osmosis modernization represent the most significant recent capital initiatives, and there is no evidence of geographic expansion, M&A, or new business lines beyond the HomeServe partnership and incremental digital billing enhancements.

Name

Marshalltown Municipal Water Works

Legal name

Marshalltown Water Works

Website

https://marshalltownwater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marshalltown Municipal Water Works is a municipally owned regulated water utility serving 10,127 residential and commercial accounts in Marshalltown, Iowa with treated groundwater sourced from 10 wells and distributed through 160+ miles of water main.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Marshalltown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water Service Charges: The water portion of customer bills is calculated by applying the current water rate to actual water usage measured in 100 cubic feet, plus a base charge according to meter size. The utility uses meters that measure in cubic feet; billing is in even 100 cubic foot increments (100 cubic feet = 748 gallons). Average usage per person is 1500–2200 gallons per month (200–300 cubic feet). Bills are sent bimonthly for the majority of customers.
2. Sewer, Storm Sewer, and Landfill Charges: The utility bill includes charges for sewer, storm sewer, and landfill services in addition to water. These portions of the bill are regulated by the Marshalltown City Council.
3. Monthly Budget Billing: In addition to normal bimonthly billing, MWW offers monthly budget billing sent out monthly based on bimonthly meter reads, providing a recurring revenue smoothing mechanism for customers.
4. Service Line Warranty Program (HomeServe Partnership): MWW has partnered with HomeServe to offer an optional Exterior Water Service Line Coverage plan to homeowners. This covers locating blockages, excavation, pipe replacement or repair, seal/joint repair, unblocking, valve repair/replacement, fusing, welding, pipe cutting, and leak locating. This generates commission or licensing revenue through the partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Marshalltown Water Works (MWW) is a municipal water utility that treats groundwater from 10 source wells, softens and disinfects it at a 6 MGD treatment plant, and distributes the finished drinking water through approximately 160 miles of water main, 4 water towers, and 1 booster station to 10,127 residential and commercial accounts in the City of Marshalltown, Iowa. The utility bills customers bimonthly for water, sewer, storm sewer, and landfill services, and offers optional services such as paperless billing, monthly budget billing, a HomeServe exterior service line warranty, and a backflow prevention compliance program.

Product overview

Marshalltown Water Works (MWW) is a municipal water utility providing drinking water services to the City of Marshalltown, Iowa. Founded in 1876, it operates as a single integrated utility offering water treatment, distribution, and customer service. The core product is drinking water supply and treatment, supported by approximately 160 miles of water main, 4 water towers, 1 booster station, and 10 wells. Customer-facing services include bimonthly billing for water/sewer/storm sewer/landfill, paperless billing, online payment processing, an optional service line warranty program (via HomeServe), backflow prevention program, annual hydrant flushing, and account notifications. The utility also provides water quality reporting through Consumer Confidence Reports, new customer setup, utility locate services, and frozen pipe prevention guidance. All services are delivered through the utility's billing software platform and customer service operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drinking Water Supply and Treatment Core municipal water service that treats groundwater from 10 source wells, softens and disinfects it at the MWW treatment plant, and delivers safe, great-tasting drinking water to residential and commercial customers in Marshalltown, Iowa.
• Customer Billing Services Bimonthly utility billing for water, sewer, storm sewer, and landfill charges with a usage-based water rate (per 100 cubic feet), a base charge by meter size, and an optional monthly budget billing plan. Payment options include mail, drop box, auto pay, phone payment ($2.75 fee), and online bill pay via municipalonlinepayments.com.
• Service Line Warranty Program (HomeServe Partnership) Optional monthly subscription offered in partnership with HomeServe that covers exterior water service line repairs including locating blockages, excavation, pipe replacement or repair, seal/joint repair, valve repair/replacement, unblocking, fitting external valves, fusing, welding, pipe cutting, and leak locating for homeowners.
• Utility Locate Services Locating service that identifies and marks water mains, fire hydrants, and valves for contractors and excavators, coordinated through Iowa ONE-CALL (811) prior to digging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivers 6.5 million gallons of treated water per average day, with peak demand reaching 9-10 million gallons

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HomeServeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarshalltown Water Works has partnered with HomeServe, a provider of home emergency repair solutions, to offer an optional Exterior Water Service Line Coverage plan to homeowners. HomeServe covers costs for locating blockages, excavation, pipe replacement or repair, seal/joint repairs, unblocking, fitting external valves, fusing, welding, pipe cutting, leak locating, and non-functioning stop boxes, shut-off valves, pressure reducing valves, and backflow prevention devices. Customers can sign up at PlansMarshalltown.com or call 833-354-1087.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Artesian Resources: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving customers in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Highly comparable small-cap regulated utility business model, groundwater-sourced treatment, and rate-base structure.
• Middlesex Water Company: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving customers in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Highly comparable small-cap regulated utility business model with similar groundwater source profile and treatment/distribution infrastructure.
• California Water Service: Investor-owned water utility operating regulated water systems in California, Washington, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas. Similar mid-sized municipal water utility model serving ~2 million people through distributed treatment and distribution systems.
• York Water Company: Investor-owned water utility serving approximately 200,000 people in south-central Pennsylvania. Closely comparable small-cap regulated water utility model with groundwater sources and a long operating history dating back to 1816.
• SJW Group: Water utility holding company operating regulated water services in California, Texas, Connecticut, and Maine. Comparable regulated rate-base utility business model and treatment/distribution infrastructure, though at significantly larger scale.
• Iowa American Water: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving customers across Iowa, including communities near Marshalltown. Operates in the same regulatory framework (Iowa Utilities Board) and serves a comparable small/mid-sized Iowa municipal customer base, making it the closest direct comp for operational scale and rate-base dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia North America: Global environmental services company operating regulated and contract-operated water/wastewater systems across North America. Comparable in service offering (water treatment, distribution) and contract utility operations, though it serves as a diversified multi-utility operator.
• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility in the United States, serving over 14 million people across 14 states including Iowa. Highly comparable business model (regulated rate-base water utility) but at vastly greater scale and as a multi-jurisdictional diversified operator.
• Essential Utilities (Aqua America): Large-cap regulated water and natural gas utility serving approximately 5 million people across 10 states. Closely aligned regulated utility model with similar capital-intensive water infrastructure, though it operates at a national scale far larger than MWW.

Others

• BDH Technology: Technology vendor powering Marshalltown Water Works' website and online presence (credit: 'Powered by BDH Technology' on the MWW website). Adjacent ecosystem participant providing the digital infrastructure that supports customer billing and communication for MWW.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MarshalltownWaterWorks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marshalltown-water-works

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Marshalltown Municipal Water Works