History

Welcome!

You and your family are part of the Marian Heights Subdivision. As residents and homeowners we are all recipients and consumers of the water pumped and delivered by Marian Heights Water Corporation (or MHC).

A bit of History…

In the early 1950s, the Convent of the School Sisters of Notre Dame developed the subdivision which includes a well and water distribution system. There are approximately 115 residents today, and we are responsible to see that a continual supply of excellent water reaches our homes.

Water and the Village of Elm Grove

Today, in the Village, there is no public or municipal water system. Residents are responsible for their own water supply and many fund and maintain their own private wells. Here in the subdivision we operate one of the few private well and water distribution systems within the Village limits. Our pump house and associated equipment is located near the corner of Lindhurst & Oakhurst.

Water Quality

The well is regularly tested by outside contractors to maintain water quality and cleanliness.  An annual Consumer Confidence Report water testing summary is completed and filed with the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Copies are available on the DNR website, our own www.marianheightswater.com website, and hard copies are available from the Secretary on the Board of Directors of MHC.

We Need Your Help

Marian Heights Corporation is run by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. The folks on the Board are residents and homeowners here in the subdivision. We hold about four (4) working meetings a year and our Annual Meeting for all residents. Your help and participation maintains this investment, reduces costs for all, and enables us to provide about 10 – 12 million gallons of water annually. Reach out to one or more of the current members of the Board. They can help familiarize you with what we do and how you can collaborate and contribute.

Your Fee

The fee that you pay on a yearly basis provides for all costs to run the system.  These include electricity, water testing fees, inspections, repairs and renovations to infrastructure for the present and future.

The Well

Our well is one of the deepest in the Village. The pump house contains water and electrical control systems to distribute water throughout the subdivision. There is also a pressure tank and small reservoir to help maintain smooth operation across varying demands on the system throughout the day and evening.

The Delivery Grid

Our distribution system includes underground water main pipes, shutoff valves, and hydrants. The valves help us limit impacted areas for water outages when problems arise. Hydrants are available for firefighting and may help to lower your fire insurance costs*. They are routinely drained and checked.

*Depends upon your plan & provider.

 

A Short History of Marian Heights Subdivision

What is now Marian Heights subdivision was acquired by the Catholic Church in the mid 1800’s and consists of a good share of the Franz Wamser homestead.  Used as farmland for the church along with the original and larger Betholz farm to the south, it was subdivided in the mid 1950’s as the farm operations of the Convent were cut back.

Mother Caroline, a Sister who traveled out from Milwaukee and whose horse refused to go on at the curve in the Plank Road, purchased an original twenty acres from the Betholz family.   Three of the Betholz daughters subsequently became nuns so the Sisters bequeathed the remaining 280 acres.  The Convent building was completed in 1859 with a $5000 grant from King Ludwig II of Bavaria with the stipulation that it be made in the style that you still see today.   Sometime later, a building was constructed at the west end of Walnut or thereabouts that until 1950 housed a home for unwed mothers and subsequently, a facility for recuperating nuns.   The middle part of Oakhurst is thought to have had a grotto for the Parish.  It has some of the biggest trees in the Village along with one of the biggest Bur Oaks in the state.