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The staff at the Waseca Water Utility strives to provide safe, high quality drinking water and high quality service to the residents of Waseca. The City of Waseca Water Department is responsible for the pumping and distribution of water to the residents and businesses in the Waseca area.
Groundwater supplies the residents of Waseca with their water. The City operates five wells which draw water from the Prairie Du Chien-Jordan aquifer. This is a bedrock aquifer which is part of the complex, multi-aquifer Cambrian Ordovician aquifer system, which lies under much of the Upper Midwest.
There are five water wells throughout the City of Waseca pumping over 500,000,000 gallons of water annually into two 500,000 gallon water towers. From the water towers, the water flows through 56 miles of water mains under the City streets to connect with over 3,000 residential and commercial water service lines.
WATER – OUR GREATEST NATURAL RESOURCE
What would you do without good potable (for human use and consumption) water? How long could you live without water? Did you know you could live longer without food than you can without water?
From the pages of the book, “The Streets are Wider Now”, Carol Rutledge (1988)
In May, 1893, the issue of a Water and Light Plant was discussed around the council table, about town, and in the local newspaper.
“It must be admitted by intelligent and thoughtful men that the safety of property, the health of citizens, and the general welfare of the people of Waseca demand water works. The supply of water, in case of a large fire, is wholly inadequate …
It is true that we have an electric light plant, but it is owned by a private company. Each city can and ought to own its water supply, and its electric light plant …..(so that) there is little chance for bribery and corruption…..”
Waseca citizens authorized a bond issue. The Water and Light Plant began operating in November, 1894. The city soon had three miles of water mains, 35 fire hydrants, and about 100 water taps. There were 33 street lamps, 34 commercial arc lights, and 600 incandescent lamps. The plant generated electricity for lighting only during peak power times until the late 1960’s, using a generator housed where the Waseca City Hall sits now. Electricity was then purchased from Northern States Power (now known as Xcel) until 1985, then from Southern Minnesota Power Agency.
Learn some great Water Saving Tips!
City of Waseca 2009 Drinking Water Report