Water Quality Monitoring Program

Safe, Clean Drinking Water for Everyone We Serve

Milwaukee Water Works provides safe, high-quality drinking water that meets or exceeds state and federal standards. We do more testing than required to help make sure your water is clean, safe, and reliable.

MWW tests for more than 500 potential contaminants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires utilities to test for 91. Our testing includes regulated and unregulated substances, including contaminants such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and certain chemicals that may not yet be required for testing.

We monitor water quality at our treatment plants, throughout more than 2,000 miles of water mains, and as water leaves our plants.

How Your Water is Treated:

1. Ozone Disinfection: We add ozone gas to kill harmful germs and improve the water’s taste and smell.

2. Clumping Particles Together: A treatment is added to help tiny particles stick together so they are easier to remove.

3. Settling: The clumped particles sink to the bottom and are removed from the water.

4. Filtration: Water is filtered through layers of coal and sand to remove any remaining small particles.

5. Chlorine Disinfection: A small amount of chlorine is added to kill any remaining germs.

6. Fluoride Addition: Fluoride is added at safe levels to help prevent tooth decay.

7. Storage: Clean water is stored in underground tanks until it is needed.

8. Pipe Protection: A treatment is added to help protect pipes and reduce the chance of lead or copper getting into the water.

9. Long-Lasting Protection: Chlorine is adjusted to stay in the water longer, helping keep it safe as it travels to your home.

Protecting Public Health

MWW works closely with the City of Milwaukee Health Department through the Interagency Clean Water Advisory Council, sharing data and responding quickly to any potential concerns. This partnership is nationally recognized as a model for protecting public health.

A Long History of Investment and Leadership

Since the 1993 Cryptosporidium outbreak, MWW has made hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades to treatment facilities, water mains, pumping stations, and monitoring systems. We were among the first U.S. utilities to:

Post emerging contaminant testing results online for public review.
Monitor for substances like endocrine-disrupting compounds and certain pharmaceuticals.
Meet federal water safety standards years ahead of deadlines.

We continue to invest in our system, our technology, and our people so that Milwaukee can count on safe, clean water every day.