FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Algoma Water Utility plans to construct an elevated water storage tank with a storage capacity of 500,000 gallons in the Town of Omro.

The Water Utility has purchased a 10-acre parcel located at the south end of Potratz Hill Road with plans to have a new elevated water storage tank online by the end of 2027. The Water Utility is pleased to announce this milestone, Kevin Mraz Utility Director stated “The new elevated water storage tank will play a crucial role in maintaining water pressure, increasing capacity to meet current and future peak demands, and provide improved fire protection water flow at hydrants.” District President Chad Hayes added, “This elevated water storage tank is strategically located to serve the needs of existing residents while preparing to meet the needs of the growing population and community development.” The water tower will also provide a secondary pressure source to ensure system reliability.

The Algoma Water Utility has received design construction approval from the Wisconsin DNR (WDNR) and is now securing the local permits, including a conditional use permit, that authorizes the construction of an elevated water storage tank in the Town of Omro on the south side of Hwy 21.

The water system requires an elevated storage tank to provide water pressure to meet the maximum day demands of customers, to operate the filtration system during backwashes, and to provide sufficient water for the fire department to fight fires and for training exercises. The WDNR is requiring a complete drain-down inspection and repainting of the exterior and interior of the existing water tower by the end of 2027. To complete this work the existing tower will be offline for several months, leaving the community without adequate water storage for fire protection, operational, and maintenance needs. Utility Director Mraz stated “The water utility is not willing to risk a lack of fire protection or negative water pressure during this drain down project. If a drinking water pump malfunctions during the drain down project the entire water system could lose pressure and require a system wide boil water notice. The addition of a second elevated water tower will provide the redundancy to complete the drain down repairs of the existing tower while seamlessly not affecting existing water customers and maintain fire protection.” The District Commissioners decided instead of installing expensive temporary measures that could reduce the risk of pressure loss during the drain down project to direct those funds toward the construction of a permanent long term solution of a second water tower. The Water Utility has been planning for this second water tower since the inception of the water utility in 2003. The water system engineering studies and Public Service Commission of Wisconsin water need calculation formulas reinforce the need to construct the second water tower is now.

The funding for this new tower will come from a combination of sources, including connection charges for new homes, with the remaining costs allocated to water bills and the existing public fire protection fee.  Any water rate increase will not occur until after construction starts in late 2026, with the exact rate increase to be determined by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. The Water Utility has experienced exceptional customer growth of more than 40% over the last 10 years, outpacing inflation, allowing the Water Utility to not increase water rates since 2015. The current water rate is $5.15 per 1000 gallons.

Utility Director Mraz anticipates that the new water tower site has the potential to compliment the District’s other public access properties of “Our Park” and “Our Pier”, noting the site has 15’ of common property frontage with the Town of Omro Schnyder Wendt Park for a possible connected trail becoming the 5th park in the Town of Omro.

Mraz concluded his report by stating “This new elevated water storage tank will ensure that our residents have safe, reliable, and uninterrupted municipal drinking water for years to come.”

Annual Watermain Flushing

· We flush our watermains each fall. We plan to begin our annual flushing the week of November 11, 2024.

· If you experience lowered water pressure, it should return to normal shortly.

· If the pressure does not return within an hour or you experience no water,
please contact the Algoma Water Utility at: 920-426-0335 or district.office@algomasd.org.

· We will do our best to complete our annual unidirectional flushing with little to no effect on our residents.

The Algoma Water Utility has three groundwater wells that feed the filtration facilities and supply safe municipal water throughout our service area. These wells provide residents and commercial businesses in our area access to safe and readily available municipal water for home and business use. 

Municipal Water Billing and Payment

Pay Your Municipal Water Bill

Algoma Water Utility customers have two options to pay their municipal water bill.

1. We accept cash, checks and money orders, payable to Algoma Sanitary District. Your payment can be dropped off or mailed to the Algoma Water Utility office. If you have questions, please contact us at (920) 426-0335. Please note we are not set up to accept credit or debit card payments at this time.

2. We also offer an automatic payment option to Water Utility residents who receive quarterly water bills. Please complete the automatic payment enrollment form and drop it off or mail it to the Algoma Water Utility office with a voided check. All account holders on the check must sign the automatic payment enrollment form. Once enrolled, your quarterly bill via mail or email will indicate “Direct Payment” on the top right corner, “AUTOMATIC PAYMENT” by the total amount due in the middle of the bill, and the payment withdrawal date will be listed toward the bottom left.

We would like all residents to take advantage of the automatic payment option. Currently, more than a quarter of our residents use this service. This option saves the Algoma Water Utility considerable time and money when processing payments, and it also saves residents time and money when paying their bills. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at (920) 426-0335.

Public Fire Protection

In addition to providing water for the continuous daily demand of our residential and commercial customers, the Algoma Water Utility also provides public fire protection for the community. This cost covers excess water to be available (additional storage, pumping and distribution capacity), including hydrants, to provide the high flows needed for fire department practice drills and actual firefighting.

Town of Algoma Fire Protection Fee

The Town of Algoma collects 100 percent of the total Public Fire Protection Fee from residents through the general property tax levy.

Town of Omro Public Fire Protection Fee

The Public Fire Protection (PFP) Fee for Town of Omro residents connected to municipal water is included in their quarterly water bills. The quarterly fee is $21.30 for residences with a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch meter and $27 for residences with a 1-inch water meter. All non-water utility customers receive an $85.20 annual bill mid-year, which is calculated at the rate for a 5/8-inch meter.

For more information about the Public Fire Protection Fee, please contact us.

Do you have questions or need assistance?

Algoma Sanitary District office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to Noon and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. CST. For questions about municipal water or sanitary sewer service, please contact us at (920) 426-0335.

Do you have an emergency?

Algoma Sanitary District Operators are on call 24-7 for emergency situations.