Sanitary District #4
| Tony Skof, Superintendent | 262-798-8629 |
| Inge Heidmann, Bookkeeper | 262-798-8631 |
| Veronica LaGuardia, Billing Clerk | 262-798-8631 |
Sanitary District No. 4, the water and sewer utility in the Town of Brookfield, was created in 1988. As of January 1, 2015, we have a customer base of over 2,300. The distribution system consists of two water towers and two ground storage reservoirs. Our water comes from the shallow dolomite aquifer. We have six wells which all flow through filters to remove the iron that is predominant in the shallow aquifer. Because of the water quality, we are only required to add a little chlorine for disinfection and the water is ready for the distribution system. On an average day, the Sanitary District provides the Town of Brookfield with 1.2 million gallons of water.
The office staff, which is now located within the town hall, includes a full-time bookkeeper, Inge Heidmann and part-time billing clerk, Veronica LaGuardia. Field operations are manned at our water tower location by Superintendent Tony Skof and two operators. The Sanitary District's DNR licensed operators are here to ensure the excellent water quality 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.
Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water at a reasonable price. We make continual efforts to improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources.
Sanitary District #4 is committed to public health and safety. COVID-19 has had no effect on the Town of Brookfield’s water supply and our operations will continue as normal. The US EPA and CDC both confirm that there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus survives the disinfection process for drinking water which is used at all of our wells. We will continue to monitor the situation and events.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html
https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater
As of right now the Sanitary District is ONLY accepting utility payments online or via check. Checks can be mailed to PO Box 1296, Brookfield, WI 53008 or placed into one of our secure drop boxes (located at Town Hall or the Water Tower on Barker Road.) Credit card payments can be made at www.govpaynow.com with the Pay Location Code of 8377 (A service fee will be added to your transaction based on the payment amount.)
Governor Evers authorized public utilities to waive late fees temporarily, however we still encourage people to pay their bills as normal if they are able to. Any further questions can be directed to the Sanitary District office staff at 262-798-8631.
Businesses recommended to flush water before reopening
Stagnant water in pipes poses potential health risk
Sanitary District No. 4 – Town of Brookfield is advising businesses and other customers about important procedures to follow when reopening locations where water has been stagnant in pipes.
Plumbing systems that have not been used for extended periods, such as during the shutdown for the Covid-19 pandemic, can pose a health risk. Stagnant water in buildings that have been closed must be flushed before plumbing systems are used again.
As some businesses are starting to reopen, it’s critical that people pay attention to their plumbing to make sure the water is safe.
Some recommended steps to maintain water quality as buildings/businesses re-open include:
- Review and understand the plumbing configuration and water usage in your building.
- Inspect the building.
- Flush cold and hot water through all points of use (sinks, faucets, appliances, ice makers, hot water heaters, etc.)
- Cold water lines should be flushed before hot water.
- Flushing may need to occur in segments.
- The first zone to be flushed should be the one nearest the building’s water supply and then working outward from the supply.
Please see new guidance from the Environmental protection agency (EPA) at:
https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/information-maintaining-or-restoring-water-quality-buildings-low-or-no-use
Sanitary Sewer Rate Change
Dear Valued Utility Customer,
This letter is to inform you that the Town of Brookfield Sanitary District No. 4 (SD#4) will be increasing its sanitary sewer rates starting with the first quarter billing in 2020. The SD#4 is committed to maintaining fiscal responsibility at all times resulting in sewer rates that are stable for our customers and extremely competitive to our neighbors while providing equal or better services. This is supported by the fact that the last sewer rate change was in 2005 when the rates were decreased! However, with upcoming capital improvement costs and the last 15 years of increasing operation and maintenance costs, we are at a point where an increase to the sanitary sewer rates is necessary.
The sewer fee includes a base quarterly customer charge and volume charge. The following tables summarize the changes to the sanitary sewer rates.
A. Quarterly Customer Charge
| Meter Size (inches | Current Quarterly Charge | 2020 Quarterly Charge |
| 5/8 & 3/4 | $ 20.46 | $ 30.55 |
| 1 | $ 34.17 | $53.00 |
| 1 1/2 | $ 68.13 | $ 90.50 |
| 2 | $ 136.47 | $ 136.50 |
| 3 | $ 327.35 | $ 327.35 |
| Non-metered | $ 60.20 | $ 94.40 |
B. Volume Charge (rate per 1,000 gallons of flow)
| Current Volume Charge | 2020 Volume Charge |
| $ 2.13 | $ 3.43 |
The table below provides a comparison of quarterly customer charges of surrounding communities for a typical single family residential home.
| Municipality | Quarterly Customer Charge | Volume Charge Rate/1000 gal | Typical Quarterly Cost | Total Quarterly Charge |
| City of Brookfield | $67.00 | $3.96 | $49.50 | $116.50 |
| V. Menomonee Falls | $70.10 | $6.93 | $86.63 | $156.73 |
| City of Pewaukee | $109.70 | - | - | $109.70 |
| Town of Brookfield | $30.55 | $3.43 | $42.88 | $73.43 |
| Village of Pewaukee | - | $6.04 | $75.50 | $75.50 |
The new rates are very competitive with our neighbors and remain one of the lowest in the area.
Should you have any questions regarding any of this information, please feel free to contact our office at the telephone number listed at the top of this letter.
Flushing anything besides toilet paper can result in blockages and expensive home plumbing problems. Please DO NOT flush Paper Towels, Facial Tissues, Napkins, or Flushable Wipes.
YOU CAN NOW PAY BY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS
Consumers who wish to make payment for their utility bill to Sanitary District No. 4 using a credit and/or debit card, may do so through GovPayNet. GovPayNet accepts the major credit and debit card brands for payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on-site, online (www.govpaynow.com) or by phone (1-888-604-7888). Cardholders can make payments on their own behalf or on behalf of friends or family. They need only have some basic information regarding the payment, easily found on your utility bill. For added convenience, GovPayNet has a fully staffed, bilingual call center available 24/7. Our location code is 8377 or click the link below.
You must contact and complete your transaction with GovPayNet prior to the due date before 4:30 pm as stated on the back of the bill card.
Cardholders pay a service fee at the time of their transaction. This service fee is paid directly to GovPayNet.
To answer some questions and comments we often hear, we thought an article on water and water heaters might be helpful. People comment that the water is bad because of the particles on the bottom of ice cube trays or in coffee pots. We can’t fight the fact that there is an enormous amount of calcium in the water. That is because we have shallow wells in the limestone aquifer. We do filter the water to remove the iron but we can’t remove the calcium. That means our water is hard as a brick and needs softening.
There lies the second part of this article. We also hear that “my water heater only lasted, insert any amount of time, because the water around here ate it up.” That now brings us to “Water Heater 101”. Water heaters have steel tanks that are lined with a thin glass coating to prevent corrosion, but the glass coating doesn’t cover the steel inlet and outlet pipes. When installing a new water heater, it is imperative that di-electric connectors are used between the heater and the copper water pipes. These connectors separate the dissimilar metals that can cause corrosion thru electrolysis. Because we know that there will be some sort of corrosion in the tank, water heaters all have “anodes” in them. Anodes, usually made of magnesium, are the sacrificial part of the water heater. Since the anode is consumed easier than the steel tank, they corrode first. If there is too much corrosion or too much time, the anode may go away, and then the tank is next in the corrosion food chain. When salt is added, as in softened water, the anodes corrode more quickly. One more interesting thing, when we heat water as in steam cleaning, the water gets more aggressive. Bear in mind this corrosion should take years to happen.
So where are we going with this is, calcium is not bad, but it makes water hard. Secondly, if the water heater is installed properly, you and your heater should have a long and happy relationship. Thirdly, water is our greatest resource, embrace it.
Now you can impress your friends with your knowledge of anodes, electrolysis and water heaters. Consider this our gift to you.
Hydrant Flushing
This year's fire hydrant flushing will be April 1 through April 22 and October 5 through October 23, 2020.
The flushing accomplishes several tasks from exercising the valves to checking operational status, and removing some trace minerals that can deposit in the distribution system.
New Utility Bills
Sanitary District #4 has instituted new utility bills. Check the Utility Bills here.
There is also a new Utility Bill schedule. The new schedule for utility billings:
1st Qtr January thru March - Due April 25
2nd Qtr April thru June - Due July 25
3rd Qtr July thru September - Due October 25
4th Qtr October thru December - Due January 25
If the 25th lands on a Saturday, the bill will be due Friday, the 24th, and if the 25th lands on a Sunday, the bill will be due Monday, the 26th. To avoid penalties, payments must be received in the town hall office or tower drop box, by 4:30 pm on the due date. DO NOT put payments in the U.S. Mail Box located in the town hall parking lot. The drop box for payments is located just right of the east entrance of the town hall. Also, note the amount due after the due date printed on the utility bill only reflects the first late fee. A late fee is assessed to the account every month on the 26th.
If you make an online bill payment, please provide your account number so your payment will be applied correctly. Be sure to give your bank and the postal service 7 to 10 days to process and deliver your payment by the due date.