Utilities

The Utility department is responsible for operating and maintaining the city's utilities, which includes the water system, sanitary sewer system,  and storm sewer system. Staff maintain 690 fire hydrants and 5,460 metered water connections that provide over 840 million gallons of water to residents each year. Staff monitor and clean over 64 miles of sanitary sewer on a 3-year rotating schedule, and conduct regular maintenance on the 11 sanitary sewer lift stations.  Staff also clear and monitor the 27 miles of storm sewer, 22 ponds, and numerous wetlands that are in New Hope. Some frequently asked questions regarding city utility can be seen below.  

Some residents have recently reported that they have been approached by someone claiming to be a city employee and asking to take water samples from their homes. The city rarely collects water samples from resident homes, and if we do our employees are always in uniform. Please ask to see City ID and verify the person requesting access to your home is driving a City of New Hope vehicle before granting anyone access to your home. 

Please ONLY flush toilet paper. Hygiene products, paper towels, and wipes can clog your personal sewer system as well as the regional system. This can cause wide-scale sewer backups. Even wipes labelled as "flush-able" CANNOT be flushed. They may not clog in your toilet or private sewer system but DO get caught on equipment in the sewer processing system causing blockages. 

My water meter is leaking. Who do I call to repair it?
Please contact the Public Works Department at 763-592-6777 if you have any questions or concerns regarding leaky water meters. After normal business hours, call the police non-emergency number at 763-531-5170.
Who do I call for a sewer back-up?
During normal business hours, please call the Public Works Department at 763-592-6777. After hours, call the New Hope Police Department non-emergency number at 763-531-5170. If Dispatch does not answer, call 911.
I’m working in my yard and want to know where the utilities are located. Who do I call?
Call Gopher State One Call at 651-454-0002. They will notify all utility companies to mark locations in your yard. A 48-hour notice is required before doing any work.
How do I get my water tested for lead?
Call Public Works at 763-592-6777 for information regarding lead in the drinking water and recommended laboratories for water testing.
The valve by the water meter needs to be replaced. Whose responsibility is it?
The homeowner is responsible for replacement of the valve.
There is a valve in my yard that needs to be lowered. Whose responsibility is it?
The "stopbox" valve in the yard is the responsibility of the homeowner, however, typically Public Works can assists homeowner's with lowering the stop boxes to ensure they are still functional. Contact Public Works to request assistance. 
I am going on vacation and want my water turned off in the boulevard. Who do I call?
Call Public Works at 763-592-6777. If staff is able to turn the water off, they will do so. If the valve is damaged or bent, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to have the valve replaced or repaired.
Where does New Hope get its water supply?
The water comes from the Mississippi River. New Hope buys it wholesale (already treated) from the city of Minneapolis.
Why does my drinking water look cloudy or milky?

Cloudy or milky looking water is caused by tiny air bubbles which are typically caused when water in the pipes changes temperature, often in the spring and the fall.

There are two reasons for this:

  • Water can absorb more air when at a higher water pressure. Because the water in the underground distribution system and your home's pipes is pressurized, when the water is poured from your faucet into a drinking glass the air can leave the water in the form of air bubbles.
  • As water gets warmer it releases air bubbles. Drinking water enters the city distribution center at a cold temperature and as it makes it way to your tap it gets warmer. Cold water can hold more air than warm water, so as the water gets warmer the air leaves the water in the form of bubbles.

If you experience cloudy or milky water the best way to verify that the issue is caused by air bubbles is to fill up a drinking glass and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes. If the bubbles rise to the top and the cloudiness disappears, then the issue was just caused by the air bubbles.

If after letting the water sit for a few minutes the cloudiness has not cleared, please call the Public Works Department at 763-592-6777.

Why does my water smell or taste bad?

Drinking water shouldn't have a discernible taste or odor. An odor from your tap is commonly caused by unsanitary sink plumbing, garbage disposal, or nozzle screen on your faucet, and not by the water itself. If you notice a taste or odor issue, first check a different faucet in your house. Fill a glass halfway with tap water and smell the water in a separate room, or try running the faucet with the drain closed. 

If the odor is no longer present after doing any of the above actions, then the issue is in your sink. The s-shaped pipe under your sink is especially prone to collecting debris.

If the problem is not from the plumbing or persists longer than 1 day, please contact the Public Works Department at 763-592-6777. Be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • Is the taste odor occurring at all faucets in your home?
  • When did you first detect the taste or odor?
  • Is the issue in hot water, cold water, or both?
  • Describe the issue (taste is musty, grassy etc.)
  • Do any neighbors have the same problem?
When and why are the fire hydrants flushed?
Public Works begins flushing hydrants in June to remove iron and manganese from the system. The operation of each hydrant is also checked at this time.
I have no water, what do I do?
Check to see if the water valves are open at the water meter (turn them counter-clockwise). If you have done this and there still is no water, call Public Works at 763-592-6777.
I have low water pressure, what do I do?
First, make sure both valves, before and after the water meter, are completely open. Next, check the outside faucet. If the water pressure is good, then the problem is in the house. If you are unable to determine the cause, call Public Works at 763-592-6777.

Contact
5500 International Parkway
New Hope, MN 55428
Phone: 763-592-6777
FAX: 763-592-6776
publicworks@newhopemn.gov

Hours -
Administration:
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., M-F

Operations Staff
and Supervisors:
7 a.m.- 3 p.m., M-F

After-Hours Phone:
763-531-5170
(police dispatch)