Bordered on the east by an immense expanse of blue, Milwaukee’s ideal setting gives way to a bountiful supply of clean, fresh, affordable water. It comes from one of the greatest lakes on earth — Lake Michigan. This vast resource is an oasis for businesses that require the certainty of an abundant and reliable water supply. Lake Michigan is part of the Great Lakes, which hold almost all of North America’s fresh surface water. This is why Milwaukee’s water supply is ranked No. 1 in the United States.

Plenty of water to spare

Water-intensive industry faces dwindling water resources due to multi-year droughts, depletion and contamination, restrictive water quality regulations, and overpopulation of arid lands. But in Milwaukee, our supply is so large we quench even the biggest business demands.

The city’s water utility, the Milwaukee Water Works (MWW), operates with excess treatment capacity. The utility could provide over 100 million additional gallons per day while maintaining an adequate safety margin of supply for emergencies. Water treated and used by Milwaukee Water Works customers is returned to the lake, translating into a sustainable, water supply for Milwaukee. This healthy surplus means no water allocation limits.

Environmental stewards of a precious natural resource

Although our water supply is plentiful, we never take it for granted. The Milwaukee Water Works uses sustainable practices such as supply-side conservation, water accountability, energy conservation, operational efficiency and consumer advocacy for preventing water waste. These actions ensure the long-term availability of safe and affordable drinking water, while considering the other uses and priorities for water in the area. We also partner with a variety of agencies to promote the health of our watershed. The MWW is the recipient of several environmental stewardship awards.

Noted as a world center for freshwater expertise, the United Nation’s named Milwaukee a Global Compact City in 2009 (one of only 14 cities worldwide). Milwaukee is also home to The Great Lakes Water Institute — the largest academic freshwater facility on the Great Lakes. And the Water Council aligns the region’s freshwater research community and water-related industries to establish the Milwaukee region as the World Water Hub for water research, economic development and education.