Public water system record
Madison Water Utility
Serves Madison, Dane County, WI · 272,000 people served
Federal records show 1 health-based violation and 1 monitoring/reporting issue for Madison Water Utility in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 1
- Resolved
- 1
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 1
Key facts
- Madison Water Utility draws water from 19 wells (2 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by Wisconsin, August 1997.
- Record on file since 1992, with 3 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 2 lead and 0 unknown out of 65,536 service lines.
Check whether Madison Water Utility serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
| Contaminant | Rule family | Start date | Status | Acute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
Treatment technique failure
|
350 | Oct 17, 2024 | Resolved | No |
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Public Notice
OTHER
|
Oct 17, 2024 | Active |
Full record since 1992
EPA's records for Madison Water Utility go back to 1992. Before October 19, 2016 they list 3 health-based violations (3 resolved) and 65 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3 | 21 |
| 2000s | 0 | 43 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Lead and Copper Rule, began July 1992, Resolved.
Show all 3 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jul 1, 1992 | Resolved |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jul 1, 1992 | Resolved |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jul 1, 1992 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
Wisconsin regulators took 1 formal enforcement action against Madison Water Utility in 1997. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in August 1997.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 1997 | Wisconsin | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Lead and Copper Rule |
What the violations mean
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
1 incidentThe system did not complete a treatment step or action that the LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS requires (a treatment technique violation).
The utility had to notify customers about this violation.
Where the water comes from
Madison Water Utility draws water from 19 wells (2 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use). 4 other community water systems buy water from Madison Water Utility.
Community systems that buy water from it
- Danville Drive Service Area Fitchburg, WI
- Maple Bluff Waterworks Madison, WI
- Rimrock Road Neighborhood Fitchburg, WI
- Shorewood Hills Waterworks Madison, WI
Annual water quality report
Madison Water Utility must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Wisconsin.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells