Water System

Joint Water Commission

In 1963, the Cities of Crystal, New Hope, and Golden Valley formed the Joint Water Commission (JWC) to purchase water under one contract from the City of Minneapolis and to efficiently manage the three Cities’ unique water distribution system in a fair and equitable manner. Each City maintains its own distribution system and utility billing, meter reading, and water sampling functions.

The City of Minneapolis draws its water supply from the Mississippi River. After treatment and purification, the water is pumped to its customers throughout the metro area. The City of Minneapolis provides the JWC water that is softened to approximately 5 grains of hardness per gallon. While it is personal preference, most customers find it is unnecessary to soften the water further.

The system that brings water to your house involves miles of piping. The City is responsible for maintenance and repair of the water system up to the right-of-way line, as well as the water meter itself. The homeowner is responsible for maintenance and repair of the water system from the right-of-way line toward the building or house. This includes the service pipe that carries water to the house or building from the water main service at the street as well as all plumbing, including valves, pipes, and fixtures in or attached to the house.

Visit www.jwcontap.org for more information. 

Water Quality

As required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the JWC frequently performs many stringent water quality tests on water samples taken from locations throughout each of the three communities to ensure residents are receiving safe, quality water. Results are reported annually.

View the 2022 Water Quality Report (PDF).

Water Main Breaks

When winter approaches and the ground begins to freeze, and in the spring when the frost goes out, water mains are prone to break. Any time you see water bubbling out of the ground, through cracks in the pavement, or from behind curbing and other places, call Utilities Maintenance.

Water Line Freeze-up

Water lines can freeze during extremely cold weather, leaving people without running water. To learn more about this problem and what you can do, read the City's Water Line Freeze-up FAQ (PDF).