Water System Report IN

Mishawaka Utilities

EPA ID: IN5271009 ยท 49,675 people served ยท 7 ZIP codes

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Mishawaka Utilities (IN5271009): no drinking-water violations recorded since 2021. Across the reporting cycles included in federal data, Mishawaka Utilities has no EPA violation entries - the file covers a service population of approximately 49,675 residents and says nothing about individual household plumbing.

Data: EPA SDWIS

D ยท 49
Avg Safety Score
49,675
People Served
7
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (since 2021)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.0089 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2023-12-31)
Zone 1
County Radon Potential ยท High
0
Contaminants Flagged
$192K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Mishawaka Utilities Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary - average Home Safety grade of mapped ZIPs: D

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$72,401
Median Household Income
156,095
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
42%
Disadvantaged Population
51th
Poverty Percentile
49th
Energy Burden Percentile
64%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with Mishawaka Utilities have a median household income of $72,401 and about 156,095 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 64% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

Environmental Justice Note: On average, 42% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this service area are designated disadvantaged by the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST, 2022 version). Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.

๐Ÿ’ง Where Does Your Water Come From?

Groundwater

Mishawaka Utilities's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
61th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
79th
Superfund Site Proximity

Wastewater Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 61th percentile nationally for proximity to wastewater discharge points.

Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 79th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites. Groundwater sources near contaminated sites may face elevated risk from industrial chemicals.

Infrastructure Risk

52 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
16 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Moderate Wear
Decay Status
Installed 76% of expected lifespan used (estimate) End of life

PFAS in ZIP Codes This System Serves

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been reported in samples from water systems associated with the ZIP codes in this system's area. These results can come from other water systems serving the same ZIP codes; check the UCMR5 section for any results reported for this system. 53 detections recorded. 15 detections are above the level of a federal PFAS MCL (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS), with compliance required from 2029.

Health concern: Exposure to certain PFAS has been associated with some cancers and with immune and developmental effects; effects differ by compound. Many PFAS break down very slowly in the environment.
Recommended filter: An activated carbon filter certified under NSF/ANSI 53 or a reverse osmosis system certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for the PFAS listed in its certification. Find the right filter โ†’

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in Indiana

Purdue Univ. Water Works
50,000 people
0 violations
C 7 violations
C 0 violations
D 4 violations
C 0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment Water Filtration
PFAS Treatment $571
Water Filtration $43
Total Estimated Cost $614

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.

Cost of Inaction

Illustrative per-household cost scenario based on stated assumptions:

PFAS Exposure - Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $614 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These estimates are for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

Mishawaka Utilities (EPA ID: IN5271009) is a community water system in Indiana that serves approximately 49,675 people from groundwater sources.

This system provides water to 7 ZIP codes across 4 communities.

ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: D (49/100)

This is the average Home Safety Score for 4 of 7 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.

Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.

Violation History

No accepted violation records in the 2021-2026 window - The accepted EPA ECHO 2026Q2 snapshot contains zero violation records for this system whose record year falls from 2021 through 2026, inclusive. This is not a tap-water safety guarantee.

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.0089 mg/L No 2023-12-31

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

Radon Risk in Service Area

7 of 7 ZIP records with known zones are in EPA Radon Zone 1.

The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by IN or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View available EPA compliance records for Mishawaka Utilities (IN5271009) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mishawaka Utilities water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Mishawaka Utilities in the inclusive 2021-2026 record-year window. This is a compliance-record finding, not a guarantee about water at a specific tap.

How many people does Mishawaka Utilities serve?

Mishawaka Utilities serves approximately 49,675 people across 7 ZIP codes in Indiana.

Where does Mishawaka Utilities get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Sample Above an EPA MCL Value or State Standard

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). One or more PFAS measurements were above the level of the EPA MCL for that compound (April 2024 rule, which takes effect in 2029) or above an applicable state drinking-water standard; a monitoring result above that level is not by itself a violation.

Samples collected
232
Detections
6
Latest sample
2/27/2024
Highest analyte
PFHxS: 5.6 ppt
Analyte Max detected EPA MCL (compliance required from 2029) Status
PFHxS 5.6 ppt 10 ppt Below EPA MCL
PFBA 5.2 ppt No federal MCL โ€”
PFOS 4.2 ppt 4 ppt Above EPA MCL value (compliance required from 2029)
PFBS 3.7 ppt No federal MCL โ€”
PFPeA 3.3 ppt No federal MCL โ€”

EPA's April 2024 PFAS rule sets MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX); water systems must comply from 2029. Other PFAS compounds have no individual federal MCL. A state standard is shown only where this system's state has its own enforceable PFAS limit. Detection results are EPA UCMR5 samples, not a measurement at your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

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

Is water from Mishawaka Utilities safe to drink? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities has 0 recorded violations since 2021. The D shown is a ZIP-area score, not a grade for this utility; see the violation table for what was violated.
Should I use a water filter? ▼
No EPA drinking-water violations since 2021 are on record for Mishawaka Utilities; this page does not establish contaminant levels at your tap. That is a compliance record, not a guarantee about the water at your tap; a certified filter can target a specific contaminant you are concerned about.
How many people does Mishawaka Utilities serve? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities serves approximately 49,675 people with drinking water across 7 ZIP codes.
What is Mishawaka Utilities's water source? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Mishawaka Utilities's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.0089 mg/L (sample period ending 2023-12-31). This is at or below the EPA lead action level, which triggers system action and is not a safe level; the EPA health goal for lead is zero.
What is the demographic profile of the ZIP codes associated with Mishawaka Utilities? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to Mishawaka Utilities have a median household income of $72,401 (Census ZIP-code estimate). In CEJST data, 42% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this area are designated disadvantaged (average across mapped ZIP codes), which may indicate greater vulnerability to environmental health risks.
Where does Mishawaka Utilities get its water? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table. Based on the available data, the modeled source-contamination category is moderate; test local water to assess actual exposure.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Mishawaka Utilities, IN: Serves 50K People. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/in5271009/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-in5271009,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Mishawaka Utilities, IN: Serves 50K People}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/in5271009/}
}

What You Can Do

1

Test your water

Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter โ†’

2

Check your specific ZIP code

Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report โ†’

3

Contact your utility

Mishawaka Utilities (EPA ID: IN5271009) - request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.

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