Compliance record
Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.
6
health-based violations
327
violations on file
1
still open
| Violation | Type | Status | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| TT | Health-based | Resolved | 2024-10-17 |
| TT | Health-based | Resolved | 1992-07-01 → 2002-12-31 |
| TT | Health-based | Resolved | 1992-07-01 → 2004-01-30 |
| TT | Health-based | Resolved | 1992-07-01 |
| TT | Health-based | Resolved | 1992-07-01 |
| TT | Health-based | Resolved | 1992-07-01 |
| Other | Monitoring | Unaddressed | 2024-10-17 |
| MR | Monitoring | Resolved | 2013-07-01 → 2013-09-30 |
| MR | Monitoring | Resolved | 2013-07-01 → 2013-09-30 |
| MR | Monitoring | Resolved | 2013-07-01 → 2013-09-30 |
PFAS detected
PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest
nationwide test results (2023–2025).
Other contaminants detected
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is
well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the
limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there
means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a
running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of this
system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a
violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it
is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.
| Contaminant | Level vs EPA limit | Detection rate | Source | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 3940 µg/L 39% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
worst single sample: 4280 µg/L | 166/272 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | 3.45 µg/L 69% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
worst single sample: 3.9 µg/L | 151/303 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Fluoride | 911 µg/L 23% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
worst single sample: 1030 µg/L | 140/236 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Copper | 189.3 µg/L 15% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
worst single sample: 292 µg/L | 130/130 | SYR4 | 2014–2018 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 3.16 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 4.2 µg/L | 129/332 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 3.88 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 4.7 µg/L | 103/332 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Lead | 5.655 µg/L 38% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L
worst single sample: 25.5 µg/L | 83/132 | SYR4 | 2014–2018 |
| Chloroform | 3.9 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 4.6 µg/L | 80/332 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| TTHM | 10.928 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
worst single sample: 13.37 µg/L | 68/68 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 3.316 µg/L 5.5% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
worst single sample: 3.61 µg/L | 59/63 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Bromoform | 1.82 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 2.2 µg/L | 57/332 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Barium | 56.64 µg/L 2.8% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
worst single sample: 67.7 µg/L | 49/49 | SYR4 | 2014–2018 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 1.33 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 1.5 µg/L | 48/63 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 4.18 pCi/L 84% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L
worst single sample: 4.8 pCi/L | 45/45 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U | 9.57 pCi/L 64% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L
worst single sample: 11.1 pCi/L | 44/44 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | 7.735 pCi/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 8.8 pCi/L | 32/32 | SYR4 | 2014–2019 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 4276.5 µg/L 43% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
worst single sample: 4840 µg/L | 30/45 | SYR4 | 2014–2019 |
| Chromium | 2.902 µg/L 2.9% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
worst single sample: 2.94 µg/L | 25/45 | SYR4 | 2014–2018 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 1.74 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 1.9 µg/L | 24/63 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Arsenic | 0.7159 µg/L 7.2% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
worst single sample: 0.8050 µg/L | 19/45 | SYR4 | 2014–2018 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 0.8120 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 0.8600 µg/L | 17/63 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Combined Uranium | 1.53 µg/L 5.1% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L
worst single sample: 1.6 µg/L | 15/15 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Trichloroethylene | 0.4800 µg/L 9.6% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
worst single sample: 0.5300 µg/L | 11/268 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Lead | 0.0018 mg/L 12% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L | 9/9 | LCR | 2023 |
| Cadmium | 0.2932 µg/L 5.9% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
worst single sample: 0.3040 µg/L | 8/45 | SYR4 | 2014–2018 |
| Monobromoacetic Acid | 0.5690 µg/L No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 0.5900 µg/L | 7/63 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | 0.4000 µg/L 0.6% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L | 7/269 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Xylenes, Total | 4.3 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
worst single sample: 4.5 µg/L | 6/269 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | 0.1000 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L | 3/266 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Ethylbenzene | 0.6800 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 700 µg/L
worst single sample: 0.7000 µg/L | 3/266 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Toluene | 0.6985 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L
worst single sample: 0.7300 µg/L | 2/268 | SYR4 | 2012–2019 |
| Selenium | 1.02 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L | 1/45 | SYR4 | 2014–2018 |
72 contaminants tested, none detected
1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneDichloromethaneDalaponDinosebDiquatEndothallEndrinGlyphosateHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorMonochloroacetic AcidNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfhxaPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpeaPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSimazineStyreneThallium, TotalTotal Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)ToxapheneVinyl ChlorideLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
Frequently asked questions about Madison Water Utility
Is Madison Water Utility tap water safe to drink?
EPA monitoring detected 34 contaminants in Madison Water Utility's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.
What contaminants were detected in Madison Water Utility's water?
EPA monitoring detected Nitrate, Tetrachloroethylene, Fluoride, Copper, Dibromochloromethane, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.
How many people does Madison Water Utility serve?
Madison Water Utility reports serving 272,000 people, per its EPA record.
Has Madison Water Utility had any water quality violations?
The EPA has 327 violations on file for Madison Water Utility, of which 6 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 1 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.