Water Utility
Water Utility Policies
Consumer Confidence Reports
Hydrant Flushing
Due to hydrant flushing you may see some discoloration in your water supply. Some reasons for that are listed below:
1) We pump ground water as our supply and it contains minerals. As the system ages more minerals are accumulating on pipe walls.
2) We are seeing higher levels of manganese in one of our wells and that has been producing more (although still very periodic) aesthetic issues with black water or black mineral particles.
3) This past month our best water quality well was out of service for a 10 year maintenance inspection and re-build, so the higher manganese well was our only source for three weeks.
4) We are flushing during the day, so the best water quality during the next two weeks will be early in the morning, before we start flushing at 8:00 AM or on the weekends, especially Sunday.
5) Sediments will typically settle by the end of the day where your area has been flushed and water coloration will return to normal.
6) Discoloration left by sediment on tub/sink surfaces will rinse away with water. Household cleaners can be used to scrub away discoloration left by residual sediment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FLUSHING SCHEDULES IN YOUR AREA, PLEASE SEE YOUR SPRING NEWSLETTER. THE LINK TO THE NEWSLETTER IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE HOMEPAGE
If your water does not clear up after flushing is complete or if you have additional questions, please call 693-5732 (Kronenwetter Water Utility)
Do You Know What or Where Your Touch Pad Is?
Your touch pad is the small, black plastic oval that should be located in the front of your house. This device needs to be visible and accessible to the meter readers that walk the route for the quarterly billing. Bushes and trees must be trimmed away from the touch pad.
Touch pads that have been improperly placed on the house or are located in a locked area, are not read by the meter readers and must be moved to a proper location. Also, touch pads that are inaccessible due to snow and ice are not read. These situations may cause you to have an estimated bill and this bill may be higher or lower than your actual water consumption.
For the safety of our meter readers, we must remind property owners that they are responsible for their pet's behavior if the animal hurts someone. Please abide by the Village of Kronenwetter ordinances by keeping your pet's behavior under control.
Security of Wellsite Facilities
Please remember that UNAUTHORIZED motor vehicles are prohibited on the wellsite. The Village of Kronenwetter has tried to discourage unauthorized motor vehicle use on the wellsite by trenching ditches and placing signs at entrances. Unauthorized motor vehicles do include recreation vehicles such as ATVs and snowmobiles!!
Sewer Maintenance policy
All of the Village's wastewater is pumped to the Rib Mountain Metro Sewerage District. We must not only abide by the sewer ordinances, but also the Rib Mountain Metro Sewerage District sewer ordinances. Dumping of automobile oil, gasoline, or other contaminants down a drain is prohibited.
The municipal sewer system is equipped to handle normal sanitary wastewater removal. Sewer backups occasionally occur on a sudden and random basis. Please do not use your toilet as an ashtray, wastebasket, or garbage disposal. Cooking oil should not be dumped down the drain as it can solidify in the cooler, deep sewers. Please do not flush items that may become long and stringy, such as rags or wash clothes, paper products, plastic, grease, or diapers down the drain.
These items can clog pumps and valves, creating backups or damage to lift station equipment. When these items are flushed into the system, there is a chance that you may have a sewer backup in your basement. The water and sewer department will not provide any compensation to property owners (or renters) for damage done by sudden and accidental sewer backups.
These costs are impacting our operating expenses and could force a rate increase. As a residential user, you can control what goes down the drain. Property owners and renters can make a difference in keeping our system operational and our sewer rates down.
Clear Water Meter Available
Property owners who wish to meter municipal water that is used for lawn watering or other non-sewerage producing outdoor activities, can install a clear water meter parallel to the existing domestic use meter. The cost for a 5/8-inch meter is $10.00/quarter ($40.00/yr) of base charge, the cost of water ($3.59 per 1,000 gallons for the first 15,000 gallons and $3.43 per 1,000 gallons over 15,000 gallons), a $25.00 permit fee, and the cost of a plumber to connect the meter to the outdoor water faucets. If you have any questions, please call us at the Water Utility office.
Public Fire Protection (PFP) Charge
The PFP charge is a fee that the Wisconsin Public Service Commission established for every municipality with a water distribution system. In many communities, this fee is added to the property taxes. However, when PFP is part of the property tax system, tax exempt properties do not contribute. So recently, many communities are changing and making the PFP charge a part of the water bill. In Kronenwetter, the PFP charge has always been a part of the water bill; presently it is built into the water base charge. Starting in January, we will be listing the PFP charge as a separate line item on your bill. This does not increase your water bill as the base rate will be reduced by the same amount as the PFP charge. The separate listing will more accurately reflect your water and sewer charges.
Meter Exchange and Inspection
Operators are in the process of exchanging meters in certain areas of the Water Utility. The Public Service Commission requires that the Utility exchange 10% of the meter population every year to ensure accuracy to both the home owner and utility. If you receive a card on your door, please call the Water Utility office to set up an appointment for the meter exchange and cross connection inspection; there is no fee to you for this service. These appointments are generally about 15 minutes in length. Please have the area around your meter cleared out to reduce the amount of time for your appointment. For your safety, please make sure that the operator or anyone claiming to need entry into your home is wearing an identification badge. Employees and authorized representatives of the Water Utility have a Village of Kronenwetter identification tag with their photograph on it.
