Water Infrastructure Management Plans

Madison Water Utility's overarching mission is to "supply high quality water for consumption and fire protection, at a reasonable cost, while conserving and protecting our ground water resources for present and future generations." the Utility's various infrastructure management plans (below) support this mission through the development and utilization of such plans, in an effort to manage and guide all major infrastructure improvements.

Madison Water Utility strongly believes that it is crucial for the public to have convenient access to information about our water infrastructure, the services we offer, and insight into how decisions are ultimately made. Each of the water infrastructure management plan documents below are meant to serve as a valuable resource for the public.

Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP)

Madison Water Utility manages water supply and distribution infrastructure to deliver the highest quality services possible to its customers. The water utility developed a multi-year, phased implementation of a Strategic Asset Management (SAM) Program to develop and implement leading asset management (AM) principles and practices focused on improving MWU’s overall effectiveness in delivering services to its customers. Asset Management practices include managing all phases of infrastructure asset lifecycle, in numerous disciplines, for each all MWU service areas.

The Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) includes framework elements that are specifically tailored for our system. The SAMP forms the basis of the development of the Strategic Asset Management Implementation Plan (SAMIP or Roadmap). This process involves the development of the overall AM strategy, supporting improvement initiatives, in addition to a "roadmap". 

Strategic Asset Management Plan (2018)

Water System Master Plan 

The Madison Water Utility drinking water system serves the City of Madison and portions of adjacent communities, providing safe drinking water to approximately 255,000 residents, including the University of Wisconsin campus, and regional employment centers. MWU has used a Water Master Plan since 1964 to guide development, operation, and expansion of the water distribution system. This plan is routinely updated every 5 to 8 years to accommodate current and projected water use trends, development pressures, fire protection requirements, and to sustain the Utility’s level of service to consumers.

MWU developed an Asset Management Program (above) that incorporates asset condition assessment, core risk, business risk evaluation, and asset renewal into the Utility Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Asset Management will use data-driven decisions to develop the right project, at the right time, for the right reasons, at the right price. Asset Management will also maximize return on investment and help to ensure the water system will meet established levels of service now and in the future.

Proper planning combined with optimal operations to meet the long term needs of the community is essential. The two-part water master plan report (Volume 1 & 2 below) represents a comprehensive water system planning effort developed to identify priority water system improvements to support the growth and operational optimization of the Madison Water Utility water supply system. A Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is used to meet existing and projected needs of the City of Madison though the year 2040.

Water System Master Plan Update - Volume 1 (2019)

• Chapters 1 - 3
• Chapters 4 - 5
• Chapter 6 - Part 1
• Chapter 6 - Part 2
• Chapter 7 - 8

Water System Master Plan Update - Volume 2 (2020)

• Chapters 1 - 4
• Chapters 5 - 8

Financial Plan 

The overall goal of Madison Water Utility's Financial Plan is to provide the Utility with a roadmap to keep safe drinking water accessible and affordable to all through a robust program of infrastructure renewal that is funded primarily with current revenues, instead of new debt. Since 2019, the Madison Water Utility (MWU) has stabilized its financial condition, established adequate reserve funds, refinanced debt at more favorable terms, reduced its overall debt burden, improved financial reporting, held the line on operation and maintenance expenses, and secured a dedicated source of cash funding for main replacements.

MWU expects to meet all its goals within the 10-year planning horizon laid out in the Financial Plan below.

Financial Plan Update (2023)