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Historically, early suburban homes obtained drinking water from individual household wells. As the suburbs grew, so did the need for a consolidated water source and distribution system. The Cities of Crystal, Golden Valley, and New Hope addressed the issue collaboratively in 1963, when they formed the Joint Water Commission (JWC) to purchase water from the City of Minneapolis and develop the infrastructure to deliver that water to their communities. Since then, the JWC has efficiently managed the three Cities' unique water supply and storage system in a fair and equitable manner. Each City maintains its own distribution system and utility billing, meter reading, and water sampling functions. As required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the JWC frequently performs many stringent water quality tests on water samples taken from locations throughout each of the three communities to ensure consumers receive safe, quality water.
For 40 years, the City of Minneapolis has been a reliable source of reasonably priced, good quality water. In return, the JWC has been a good customer, purchasing about 15 percent of the water treated by Minneapolis. The JWC remains committed to providing its customers with the highest quality water at the least cost. As the cost of water continues to increase, the JWC must evaluate its alternatives to ensure it will continue to honor that pledge. In 2002, as the cost of purchased water from Minneapolis began to increase substantially, the JWC authorized a series of studies and analyses to evaluate other water supply options. You may download these reports by following these links. Copies of the complete reports are available through the three cities. |
