Bath & Kitchen Showroom
New Berlin is one of the few cities in Waukesha County with two completely different water supplies running side by side. Homes in the eastern utility service area get Lake Michigan water purchased from Milwaukee Water Works. Homes in the western part of the city rely on private groundwater wells.
That split matters for plumbing. The Lake Michigan supply is treated, chloraminated, and moderately hard at 8 to 12 grains per gallon. The well water out west is untreated, naturally very hard at 18 to 30 grains, and historically carried elevated radium. The pipes, fixtures, and water treatment equipment needed for each system are different.
Schoenwalder Plumbing has served New Berlin since 1945. Our Waukesha shop borders New Berlin, so most of our trucks are on-site within 15 minutes. We work on both municipal and well water systems daily. Call (262) 542-7908 to schedule.
New Berlin’s groundwater wells originally produced water with radium levels above the federal drinking water standard. In 2009, the Wisconsin DNR approved a Lake Michigan water diversion under the Great Lakes Compact, allowing the city to purchase treated water from Milwaukee Water Works for the eastern service area.
That switch solved the radium problem for about 28,000 residents on the municipal system. But it created a city with two water chemistries running through different neighborhoods. The eastern side now gets softer Lake Michigan water (8 to 12 grains per gallon). The western side, outside the utility boundary, still draws from private wells tapping the same deep sandstone aquifer that caused the original problem.
We’ve worked in New Berlin long enough to know exactly where the utility boundary runs. If you’re on Coffee Road or west of Calhoun Road, you’re almost certainly on well water. East of there, you’re on the municipal system. That distinction drives every recommendation we make, from water softener sizing to pipe material selection.
Full residential and commercial plumbing, calibrated to whichever water system your property sits on.
If you’re on the Milwaukee supply, your water is already treated for bacteria and radium. But it’s still moderately hard (8 to 12 grains), which is enough to build scale over time. A water softener sized for that range will protect your fixtures and appliances without over-softening.
If you’re on a private well, the situation is different. Your water likely tests between 18 and 30 grains of hardness, plus you may have iron, manganese, or residual radium to deal with. We test first, then design a system that matches what’s actually in your water. That might mean a softener alone, or it might mean a softener plus an iron filter plus a reverse osmosis drinking water system.
Lake Michigan water is easier on water heaters than the old well supply, but 8 to 12 grains still produces scale over a 10-year lifespan. If your unit is over 8 years old and recovery times are getting longer, it’s worth an inspection. We install and service both conventional tank and tankless water heaters from Rheem, A.O. Smith, and Rinnai. On the well side of the city, hard water shortens heater life by 2 to 4 years compared to treated municipal water. We’ve replaced plenty of 6-year-old units in western New Berlin that should have lasted 12.
New Berlin’s sewer system serves the eastern utility area, but western properties often run on private septic systems. Either way, slow drains need proper diagnosis before treatment. We use video sewer inspection cameras to identify the actual problem — whether that’s mineral scale, root intrusion, or a failing lateral — before recommending drain cleaning or repair.
Properties on private wells in western New Berlin depend on submersible pumps that typically last 15 years with maintenance. Hard water and sediment shorten that. We’re State of Wisconsin DNR Certified Pump Installers (PI #7661) and members of the Wisconsin Water Well Association and the National Ground Water Association. If your pressure tank is cycling rapidly or water pressure drops when two fixtures run at once, those are signs the pump needs attention.
We handle the full scope of remodel plumbing, from rough-in to fixture installation. That goes for bathrooms and kitchen remodels alike. Visit our Bath and Kitchen Showroom at 1720 Dolphin Drive in Waukesha to see working displays before committing to a design.
New Berlin requires annual backflow preventer testing for commercial properties and irrigation systems on the municipal supply. Our team includes Cross Connection Control certified testers who handle testing, certification, and repairs.
Same-day or next-day for routine calls. Our Waukesha shop shares a border with New Berlin — most addresses are under 15 minutes away.
Our shop at 1720 Dolphin Drive sits right on the Waukesha-New Berlin boundary. We don’t cross the county to get to you. For urgent issues like burst pipes, no hot water, or sewer backups, call (262) 542-7908 and we’ll dispatch a plumber the same day.
Eighty years in this area means we know the housing stock. The subdivisions east of Moorland Road are mostly 1990s and 2000s construction with copper and PEX plumbing. The older neighborhoods closer to National Avenue have more galvanized steel and cast iron, which corrode faster when water chemistry changes. That’s exactly what happened during the Lake Michigan transition — some older homes saw discolored water and pressure changes as the new supply reacted with decades-old pipes.
Schoenwalder Plumbing holds Master Plumber License MP 224276 in the State of Wisconsin. That means every job meets state code, and we carry the insurance to back it up.
Our team maintains current certifications including Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, UDC Plumbing Inspector, Lead-Safe Certification (DHS-1033150), and Certified Pump Installer PI #7661 through the Wisconsin DNR.
We’re members of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC), National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, and the Better Business Bureau, where we hold an A+ rating. Our Google reviews average 4.8 stars across 272 verified reviews.
We value the respect of our customers as well as our industry peers. We are members of the following organizations:
We’re proud to be New Berlin’s local plumbers. We’re ready when you need us!
We’ve had the pleasure of serving the New Berlin WI region since 1945. It is our mission to provide the best plumbing service possible. Our team boasts some of the most experienced plumbing professionals in the business. There’s no residential or commercial job we can’t handle.
You can call on us for any plumbing service—from repairing an annoying faucet leak to creating the bathroom or kitchen of your dreams.
You know Schoenfelder’s as the premier plumbing company in Wisconsin, but we are also known for our design and construction work. If you are in the market for a kitchen or bathroom model, we’d love to talk with you.
Better yet, come down to our showroom and have a look at what we can do for your kitchen or bathroom—get inspired. Have an idea for what you’d like already? Tell us! We can make it a reality.
Yes. Our Waukesha shop shares a border with New Berlin, so most service calls are under 15 minutes away. We offer same-day and next-day appointments for routine plumbing work. Call (262) 542-7908 to schedule.
New Berlin’s original groundwater wells had elevated radium. In 2009, the city received approval under the Great Lakes Compact to purchase Lake Michigan water from Milwaukee Water Works for the eastern utility service area. Western New Berlin properties outside the utility boundary still use private wells.
The Lake Michigan supply is moderately hard at 8 to 12 grains per gallon. That’s softer than the old groundwater (which tested 18 to 30 grains), but still hard enough to cause scale buildup in water heaters and fixtures over time. A properly sized water softener solves the problem.
Yes. We’re State of Wisconsin DNR Certified Pump Installers (PI #7661). We install, repair, and maintain submersible pump systems for New Berlin properties on private wells, primarily in the western part of the city.
It depends on which water system you’re on. Homes on the municipal Lake Michigan supply (8 to 12 grains) need a smaller system, typically $1,100 to $2,800 installed. Homes on private wells (18 to 30 grains) need a larger unit and may need additional filtration, ranging from $1,500 to $4,200. We provide free quotes after testing your water.
Yes. We handle complete bathroom and kitchen remodels, from rough-in plumbing to fixture installation. Visit our Bath and Kitchen Showroom at 1720 Dolphin Drive in Waukesha to see working displays before starting your project.
Start with a phone call. Tell us what’s going on, and we’ll let you know whether it’s something we can handle over the phone, needs a same-day visit, or can wait for a scheduled appointment. No trip charge for estimates on water softener installations or remodeling consultations.
Call (262) 542-7908 or request a callback.