Doors Open Milwaukee 2024 - Tour Jones Island

In-Person Jones Island Tours on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 9 am to 4 pm

Visitors will need to pre-register for a FREE 90-minute slot to visit the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility. Jones Island Tours will not be open to walk-up visitors.

Visitors will learn about the history of Jones Island, the water reclamation process, MMSD programs, the making of Milorganite®, and Veolia North America.   Kids won't want to miss the “workhorses of wastewater," collecting a set of "bug" cards, and getting up close and personal with the big trucks! Visitors will also receive a free 5 lb. bag of Milorganite® upon their exit while supplies last. 

Visitors may participate in one or both of the tours that are available on a first-come, first-served basis:

Driving Bus Tours

• ​​Participants will travel around the entire Jones Island facility to learn about the water reclamation process and how Milorganite® is made.  Duration- 25 minutes​​​​​​.

Walking Hard Hat Tour of the Milorganite® Facility

• Participants will get a chance to walk through the Dewatering and Drying Facility where Milorganite® is made. Duration- 20 minutes. Closed-toe shoes and long pants are required, and to descend 75 steps on your own​​​​​​​. ​​​​​​​
  • Children must meet the safety attire guidelines, be able to walk and climb stairs without assistance, and fit into a conventional hard hat and safety glasses without falling off of their heads.

Take a Virtual Tour of Jones Island

Take a free virtual tour of the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility, see how we clean wastewater, how Milorganite® is made, and what you can do at your home to manage water where it falls as part of Historic Milwaukee’s Doors Open 2024.  Join us to learn something new about the water you use every day! Some of the highlights include:

Tour Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility Virtually:

• Ever wonder what happens to the water from your toilet or shower at home? How does all that water get cleaned? Come explore these questions and more on a virtual tour of the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility!  This virtual tour includes information on the history of Jones Island, the wastewater treatment process, and how you can help protect this precious resource.

Learn About Milorganite^® Fertilizer:

• Milorganite® has been exclusively made in Milwaukee for over 98 years! Manufactured by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District using wastewater from the Greater Milwaukee area, it’s composed of heat-dried microbes that have digested the organic matter in wastewater.