Indiana American Water - Northwest
EPA ID: IN5245015 · 210,510 people served · 22 ZIP codes
Indiana American Water - Northwest carries 1 open EPA violation that remain unresolved in the federal system — approximately 210,510 people fall within its service area.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 1 (2022) to 2 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Indiana American Water - Northwest Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade C
Service Area Demographics
The Indiana American Water - Northwest serves a community with a median household income of $66,949 and an estimated 547,754 residents across its service area. Approximately 70% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 35% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Indiana American Water - Northwest's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
About 1% of homes in Johnson County, Indiana rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 67th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Indiana American Water - Northwest compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Consumer Confidence Report Rule at 3 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Radium-228 at 1 pCi/L (combined Radium-226 & 228 ≤ 5 pCi/L) exceeds the EPA maximum of pCi/L (combined Radium-226 & 228 ≤ 5 pCi/L). Bone cancer and leukemia (known carcinogen). Consider ion exchange (water softener) filtration.
Surface Water Treatment Rule at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 8 detections recorded.
Radium-228 was detected in this water system. ion exchange (water softener) filtration can reduce exposure.
Find a certified water filter →Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Indiana
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Indiana American Water - Northwest (EPA ID: IN5245015) is a community water system in Indiana that serves approximately 210,510 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 22 ZIP codes across 14 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: C (61/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 1, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Health-based | Unresolved |
| April 1, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Radium-228 | Monitoring | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting Failure | 3 | Yes |
| Radium-228 | Radionuclides | 1 | No |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Failure | 1 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: 20 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 2 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
- 46142 — Greenwood
- 46143 — Greenwood
- 46304 — Chesterton
- 46307 — Crown Point
- 46319 — Griffith
- 46323 — Hammond
- 46341 — Hebron
- 46342 — Hobart
- 46368 — Portage
- 46375 — Schererville
- 46383 — Valparaiso
- 46385 — Valparaiso
- 46393 — Wheeler
- 46402 — Gary
- 46403 — Gary
- 46404 — Gary
- 46405 — Lake Station
- 46406 — Gary
- 46407 — Gary
- 46408 — Gary
- 46409 — Gary
- 46410 — Merrillville
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Indiana American Water - Northwest (IN5245015) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Indiana American Water - Northwest water safe to drink?
Indiana American Water - Northwest has recorded 1 health-based violation in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.
How many people does Indiana American Water - Northwest serve?
Indiana American Water - Northwest serves approximately 210,510 people across 22 ZIP codes in Indiana.
Where does Indiana American Water - Northwest get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from Northwest Indiana Operations Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: Northwest Indiana Operations Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has assessed all public surface and groundwater sources throughout the state to identify potential contaminants. For the purpose of source water assessments, in Indiana all surface waters are considered to be susceptible to contamination.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from Northwest Indiana Operations Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
PFAS Substances Detected in This System
This water system's Consumer Confidence Report disclosed the following PFAS compounds. Levels are from the utility's most recent reporting cycle.
In April 2024, EPA finalized the first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply. EPA — PFAS regulation overview →
Source: Consumer Confidence Report disclosed by Northwest Indiana Operations.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. PFAS detection data is sourced from public Consumer Confidence Reports filed by the utility itself.
Indiana American Water is committed to removing lead and galvanized service lines over the next several years. So far, we've replaced or removed over 33,000 lead service lines, which is over half of the estimated number of lead service lines in our Indiana communities.
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
Northwest Indiana Operations
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Aesthetic water quality
These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.
Aesthetic measurements from Northwest Indiana Operations Consumer Confidence Report.
Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.
Hard water detected in Northwest Indiana Operations
Your utility reported water hardness of 150 ppm CaCO₃ (8.8 grains per gallon) in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report. This is in the moderately hard range and may cause scale buildup, reduced appliance lifespan, and dry skin or hair.
There are three common approaches to treating hard water: salt-based ion-exchange softeners (most effective, require salt refills), salt-free conditioners (lower maintenance, scale prevention only), and reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink (cooking and drinking water only). Aquasana, EcoWater, Pelican, and SpringWell are among the major US brands.
Paid Partner. ZipCheckup earns commission on Aquasana purchases. We do not test water or verify product effectiveness for specific hardness levels — manufacturer claims are theirs alone. Consult a certified water-quality professional for personalized advice.
Hardness data parsed from this utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report. Severity bands per USGS hard water classification.
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
Indiana American Water - Northwest (EPA ID: IN5245015) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.