Water System Report WI

Portage Waterworks

EPA ID: WI1110039 ยท 10,437 people served ยท 1 ZIP code

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Portage Waterworks (WI1110039): no drinking-water violations recorded since 2021. Violation-free in EPA records - Portage Waterworks, 10,437 residents served.

Data: EPA SDWIS

B ยท 77
Avg Safety Score
10,437
People Served
1
ZIP Code Served
0
Violations (since 2021)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.0062 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2023-09-30)
Zone 2
County Radon Potential ยท Moderate
0
Contaminants Flagged
$214K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Portage Waterworks Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

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

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$72,244
Median Household Income
14,654
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
0%
Disadvantaged Population
40th
Poverty Percentile
50th
Energy Burden Percentile
66%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with Portage Waterworks have a median household income of $72,244 and about 14,654 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 66% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

๐Ÿ’ง Where Does Your Water Come From?

Groundwater

Portage Waterworks'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
40th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
30th
Superfund Site Proximity

Infrastructure Risk

51 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
19 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Moderate Wear
Decay Status
Installed 73% 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. 1 detection recorded.

State PFAS values in our reference data (state drinking-water standard (enforceable)); check current state rules: PFOA: 4 ppt, PFOS: 4 ppt, PFHxS: 10 ppt, PFNA: 10 ppt, HFPO-DA: 10 ppt
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 Wisconsin

Deforest Waterworks
10,500 people
C 2 violations
Elkhorn Waterworks
10,317 people
C 3 violations
Holmen Waterworks
10,147 people
6 violations
B 4 violations
Monroe Waterworks
10,780 people
0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment Water Filtration
PFAS Treatment $500
Water Filtration $300
Total Estimated Cost $800

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 $800 (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

Portage Waterworks (EPA ID: WI1110039) is a community water system in Wisconsin that serves approximately 10,437 people from groundwater sources.

This system serves ZIP code 53901 in Portage.

ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: B (77/100)

This is the average Home Safety Score for 1 of 1 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
0.0062 mg/L No 2023-09-30

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

1 of 1 ZIP records with known zones is in EPA Radon Zone 2.

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 WI 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 Portage Waterworks (WI1110039) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Portage Waterworks water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Portage Waterworks 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 Portage Waterworks serve?

Portage Waterworks serves approximately 10,437 people across 1 ZIP code in Wisconsin.

Where does Portage Waterworks get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected; the table compares each one with the EPA MCL where one exists (April 2024 rule, compliance required from 2029) and with this state's enforceable standard where one exists.

Samples collected
116
Detections
2
Latest sample
2/11/2025
Highest analyte
PFHxS: 8.1 ppt
Analyte Max detected EPA MCL (compliance required from 2029) Status
PFHxS 8.1 ppt 10 ppt
WI standard: 10 ppt
Below EPA MCL

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 Portage Waterworks safe to drink? ▼
Portage Waterworks has 0 recorded violations since 2021. The B 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 Portage Waterworks; 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 Portage Waterworks serve? ▼
Portage Waterworks serves approximately 10,437 people with drinking water across 1 ZIP code.
What is Portage Waterworks's water source? ▼
Portage Waterworks draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Portage Waterworks's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.0062 mg/L (sample period ending 2023-09-30). 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 Portage Waterworks? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to Portage Waterworks have a median household income of $72,244 (Census ZIP-code estimate). Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does Portage Waterworks get its water? ▼
Portage Waterworks'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.). Portage Waterworks, WI: Serves 10K People. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/wi1110039/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-wi1110039,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Portage Waterworks, WI: Serves 10K People}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/wi1110039/}
}
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