Current Noncompliance WI 1 HEALTH-BASED VIOLATION ON RECORD

Altoona Waterworks

EPA ID: WI6180280 ยท 9,627 people served ยท 3 ZIP codes

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Altoona Waterworks (WI6180280): 1 violation recorded with unresolved status in the SDWIS data used. Altoona Waterworks | open status in EPA data: 1 violation | people served: about 9,627.

Data: EPA SDWIS

B ยท 81
Avg Safety Score
9,627
People Served
3
ZIP Codes Served
2
Violations (since 2021)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.001 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2025-06-30)
Zone 2
County Radon Potential ยท Moderate
2
Contaminants Flagged
$225K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

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

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

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$71,406
Median Household Income
94,497
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
20%
Disadvantaged Population
40th
Poverty Percentile
40th
Energy Burden Percentile
61%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with Altoona Waterworks have a median household income of $71,406 and about 94,497 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 61% 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

Altoona 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.

Elevated Risk
Source Contamination Risk
30th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
70th
Superfund Site Proximity

Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 70th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites. Groundwater sources near contaminated sites may face elevated risk from industrial chemicals.

Infrastructure Risk

48 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
22 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Moderate Wear
Decay Status
Installed 69% 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. 4 detections recorded. 2 detections are above the level of a federal PFAS MCL (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS), with compliance required from 2029.

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

Shawano Waterworks
9,610 people
0 violations
Merrill Waterworks
9,661 people
2 violations
Mcfarland Waterworks
9,676 people
C 0 violations
D 0 violations
C 2 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment Water Filtration
PFAS Treatment $400
Water Filtration $300
Total Estimated Cost $700

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:

Estimated Healthcare Costs $500

Annual per household (ZipCheckup estimate)

PFAS Exposure - Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$2,665
10 years
$5,330
20 years
$10,660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $700 (one-time) vs. $5,330 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

Altoona Waterworks (EPA ID: WI6180280) is a community water system in Wisconsin that serves approximately 9,627 people from groundwater sources.

This system provides water to 3 ZIP codes across 2 communities.

ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: B (81/100)

This is the average Home Safety Score for 1 of 3 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

1 current noncompliance record in the accepted 2026Q2 snapshot; none are classified as health-based in this evidence.

Status breakdown for accepted records with record years 2021-2026: 1 resolved, 0 archived, 0 addressed, and 1 unaddressed. Under this source contract, current noncompliance is the sum of addressed and unaddressed records. Archived and resolved records are excluded from current noncompliance.

Recent Violations

Date Contaminant Type Status
October 17, 2024 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS Health-based Resolved
October 17, 2024 Public Notice Non-health-based Unaddressed (current)

Contaminants Detected

The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:

Contaminant Category Violations Health-Based
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS Treatment Technique 1 Yes
Public Notice Other (notice or report rule) 1 No

Lead & Copper

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

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.001 mg/L No 2025-06-30

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

3 of 3 ZIP records with known zones are 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 Altoona Waterworks (WI6180280) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Altoona Waterworks water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot shows 1 current noncompliance record and zero current records classified as health-based. That classification is not a property-specific water test or safety guarantee.

How many people does Altoona Waterworks serve?

Altoona Waterworks serves approximately 9,627 people across 3 ZIP codes in Wisconsin.

Where does Altoona Waterworks get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: No PFAS Reported Above Reporting Levels

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were reported above UCMR5 minimum reporting levels.

Samples collected
348

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 Altoona Waterworks safe to drink? ▼
Altoona Waterworks has 2 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? ▼
Given 2 recorded violations, review the violation types and dates; a filter certified for a specific contaminant of concern can reduce that contaminant at the tap. Monitoring or reporting violations are not something a filter addresses.
How many people does Altoona Waterworks serve? ▼
Altoona Waterworks serves approximately 9,627 people with drinking water across 3 ZIP codes.
What is Altoona Waterworks's water source? ▼
Altoona Waterworks draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Altoona Waterworks's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.001 mg/L (sample period ending 2025-06-30). 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 Altoona Waterworks? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to Altoona Waterworks have a median household income of $71,406 (Census ZIP-code estimate). Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does Altoona Waterworks get its water? ▼
Altoona 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. The available violation history and environmental indicators place this system in the elevated review category; they do not measure current source contamination.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Altoona Waterworks (WI): 1 Health Violation. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/wi6180280/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-wi6180280,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Altoona Waterworks (WI): 1 Health Violation}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/wi6180280/}
}

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

Altoona Waterworks (EPA ID: WI6180280) - request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.

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