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Water & Wastewater Utility

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1. Water and Wastewater emergency contact information

Regular Office Hours are Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

For after hours emergency assistance, please contact the Grafton Police Department (262) 375-5320. The Police Department will dispatch the appropriate Utility Operator to respond. 

Be sure to provide the Police Department with information regarding address, phone number, and nature of emergency.

2. When are water & wastewater services billed?

The Utility bills its customers on a quarterly basis. Residential customers are billed on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31.

3. What is the typical water bill for Village of Grafton residents?

The typical residential customer or household uses an average 18,000 gallons of water per quarter. For this volume, the average water and wastewater billing in 2019 amounts to approximately $248.90 per quarter.

4. What options are available for payment of Utility bills?

Payments can be made by U.S. Mail to the Grafton Water Utility, 860 Badger Circle – Grafton, WI 53024; payments can also be made in person at any of the available pay stations. In addition, an ‘after hours’ drop box is located in the Village Hall parking lot to the right. Customers can also arrange to be set up as an automatic bank payment customer wherein bank payment of the utility bill is made automatically each quarter. The Water Utility will also accept credit card payment of bills (MasterCard and Discover Card only). Credit card payments must be made in person and are only accepted at the Utility Office. A service fee is applied.

More information.

5. What are the ‘flat charges’ on my water bill?

All water customers are billed quarterly ‘flat charges’ or fixed fees based upon the size of your water meter. These charges are the same each quarter regardless of the volume of water used. For the typical residential customer with a 5/8 inch meter the current water flat charges are $20.86 per quarter and the sewer flat charges are $63.00 per quarter. These charges are generally customer related and include account administrative fees and metering related costs. Another fixed charge on the typical water bill is identified as a “PFP” charge or ‘public fire protection’ cost of service. The PFP charge is also based upon the meter size and currently amounts to $10.10 per quarter for the typical residential customer. The PFP charge is one that covers the Utility’s cost to provide fire hydrants and oversized water mains necessary for public fire protection services.

6. Where can I pay my water bill?

Pay stations include the following locations:

• Grafton Village Hall
  860 Badger Circle
  Grafton, WI 53024
• Port Washington State Bank
  2080 Washington Street
  Grafton, WI 53024
• Cornerstone Community Bank
  2090 Wisconsin Avenue
  Grafton, WI 53024

Please note that other than the Utility Office, no pay stations will accept payment of utility bills after the 20th day of month following the billing date.

7. How do my water & sewer rates compare with other Wisconsin communities?

The Village of Grafton has very favorable water and sewer rates in comparison to other Wisconsin communities. Historically, Grafton has ranked in the lower one third with both its water and wastewater rates on a statewide basis. Currently, Grafton’s combined water and sewer quarterly charges are ranked 2nd lowest in Ozaukee County and are 13% to 35% lower than five other communities in Ozaukee County with higher rates.

8. Does Grafton have any summer sprinkling restrictions?

Yes. The Grafton Water Utility imposes limited "sprinkling restrictions" each summer in order to promote water conservation and limit the peak demand periods. The sprinkling restrictions or limitations are voluntary in nature and apply each year from June 15 to September 15.

Scheduled sprinkling should be performed in accordance with the 'odd-even' rule. Customers with odd-numbered addresses should sprinkle on odd-numbered days. Customers with even-numbered addresses should sprinkle on even-numbered days. To determine the 'odd-even' designation, use the last digit in the property address.

9. What should I do if I receive a bright colored leak card left at my door by the Water Utility?

The leak card is a notice to the customer that a recent meter reading has indicated a large or unusual volume of water usage by the customer.

The customer should call the Water Utility at (262) 375-5330 to discuss the nature of the high water usage and schedule an appointment for Utility personnel to investigate possible causes for the high water usage.

10. How do I get help from the W/WW Utility after hours or on weekends?

If you experience a problem after normal hours or on weekends, you should call the Grafton Police Department directly at 262-375-5320 and provide information regarding the nature of your emergency. The police dispatcher will then contact the appropriate Utility person for follow-up investigation and/or corrective action.

11. What is the hardness level of Grafton’s water, and do I need a water softener?

Grafton’s water supply is considered ‘very hard’ and measures approximately 21 grains of hardness. Most Village residents have chosen to install a water softener which in effect, will enhance ‘soap lather’, will facilitate washing and, will alleviate mineral formations and deterioration of plumbing fixtures.

12. How does one check for “water leaks” in the house?

Water leaks are not all visible or audible. The most common cause of unexpected high water bills is the "leaking" toilet which often can be a ‘silent leak’. The leaking toilet may be the result of a deteriorated flush valve (flapper in the bottom of the supply tank). You can identify this particular problem by placing several drops of food coloring in the supply tank. If you see color in the bowl after 15 minutes, the ‘flush valve’ is leaky. The toilet will also waste water when the supply tank water level is set too high resulting in continuous water waste through the 'overflow tube'. The water level should be about ¾ inch below the top of the overflow tube.

13. What should I do if my sewer ‘backs-up’?

If you experience a back-up of sewage into your basement, your first step should be to stop using water and then immediately contact the Water & Wastewater Utility at 375-5330. Utility personnel are available Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM and can also be dispatched during off hours and on weekends. Utility personnel will typically determine the general location of the problem and what corrective efforts are required. If a sewer obstruction is identified as being in the street/public sewer main, the Utility will quickly correct the situation. If the sewer obstruction is identified to be between the home and the sewer main connection, the customer or property owner will be advised of his/her responsibility for this matter. In this case it typically involves a need for sewer lateral maintenance or repair.

14. How do I know my water is safe to drink?

The Water Utility samples and tests its water diligently in accordance with ‘safe drinking water standards’ and testing frequencies mandated by the U.S. EPA and the Wisconsin DNR. Each year, the results are compiled and the drinking water compliance status is formally reported as a consumer confidence report entitled “Annual Drinking Water Quality Report”. This report is available at all Village buildings and is posted on the this web site. In the event of an acute drinking water violation or occurrence, this would be addressed immediately with customer notification and instructive information.

15. Why is my drinking water cloudy at times?

This is nothing to be concerned about. The cloudy water is caused by air bubbles in the water similar to gas bubbles in beer or soda. After a short while, the bubbles rise to the top and the water clears. Although Grafton utilizes ground water which varies little in temperature, cloudiness generally occurs more often in the winter when drinking water may be colder.

16. If my water becomes discolored, what can I do about it?

On occasion you may find that the tap water or water supply to your home has become discolored and rusty-brown in appearance. In almost all cases, this is the result of rust and iron scale buildup in the water mains which loosens and becomes dispersed in the water supply. The Water Utility addresses iron scale build-up and potential "red water" by routinely flushing the water system.

If you experience "rusty water" at a time other than when the Water Utility is doing routine hydrant flushing, you should 'run' your tap water for a period of about 5 minutes. If water is still discolored, wait about 15 to 20 minutes and again 'run' your tap water for another 5 minutes. In most cases, this routine repeated two or three times will usually clear up the water discoloration. If it does not, you should then call the Water Utility and a person will be dispatched to take corrective action.

17. What is the oily film in my water when I make coffee?

From time to time, the Utility receives complaints from customers regarding their water and the appearance of an oily surface film that is particularly evident when preparing coffee or tea. This ‘film’ although not appealing, is not harmful and is the result of a chemical phenomenon that occurs during the water heating process. A more detailed explanation of this phenomenon is as follows:

1. The Village of Grafton water supply is characterized as a “very hard” water. Chemically speaking, this means it contains high levels of calcium carbonate. During the heating process, calcium carbonate will normally ‘precipitate out’ from water and cause a scale build-up that adheres to surface. Grafton adds a polyphosphate chemical to its water supply that normally inhibits the precipitation or ‘scaling’ process; however, as temperature rises (i.e. during the water heating process), the effectiveness of the polyphosphate chemical is reduced).

2. Coffee and/or tea contain a derivative called “tannin”. This is the ‘color’ which leaches out during the preparation process. When the polyphosphate chemical becomes less effective during the heating process and fails to condition the water hardness (prevent scaling), the tannin from the coffee or tea reacts as a substitute conditioner and in effect, forms the ‘oily film’ which becomes evident on the surface of your coffee or tea.