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Community Water System · PWS IN5271009

Mishawaka Utilities

Mishawaka, Indiana 46546-0363 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 49,675 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

49,675
People served
19
EPA violations
13
Health-based
5 PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 19 drinking-water violations at Mishawaka Utilities, 68% of them health-based - below the Indiana per-system average, and UCMR5 testing detected 5 PFAS compounds.

19
Total EPA violations on record
68%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
49,675
People served by this system
5
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Mishawaka Utilities

Mishawaka Utilities is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 49,675 residents in Mishawaka, Indiana (St. Joseph County) through 17,457 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 19 total violations for this system , of which 13 (68%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 5 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 7 violations (MCL, health-based). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 5 PFAS compounds were detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 5.6 ppt (parts per trillion). PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

Across Indiana, EPA tracks 3,967 public water systems serving 5,774,616 people, with 352,710 cumulative violations and 35,932 health-based violations on record. About 96% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 88.9 violations. Statewide, 93 of 229 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (40.6%).

Mishawaka Utilities's 19 violations sit below the Indiana average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

PFAS Detected

5 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Population Served
49,675
Total Violations
19
Health-Based Violations
13
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
17,457
County
St. Joseph
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
7
Monitoring Violations
5
Treatment Tech Violations
6

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 7 1995
Groundwater Rule TT 6 2010
Nitrate MR 4 2002
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 2025
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 1980

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 6 of 232 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFOS 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/30/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 8/30/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 8/30/2023 5.60 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
HFPO-DA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/30/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 8/30/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 8/30/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/30/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/30/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/30/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 8/30/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 8/30/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/30/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/30/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/30/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/30/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Mishawaka Utilities.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID IN5271009 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Indiana Drinking Water Authority

Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Drinking Water Branch is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Mishawaka Utilities under EPA-delegated authority.

Open IN regulator portal

Source: Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Drinking Water Branch

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2025 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 SDWIS / IN5271009 / 7000
2010 Groundwater Rule TT 6 SDWIS / IN5271009 / 0700
2002 Nitrate MR 4 SDWIS / IN5271009 / 1040
1995 Coliform (TCR) MCL 7 SDWIS / IN5271009 / 3100
1980 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 SDWIS / IN5271009 / 4000

How Mishawaka Utilities Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Mishawaka Utilities Indiana avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 19 88.9 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 13 9.1 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 5 compounds 40.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 49,675 1,456 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 3,967 regulated public water systems in Indiana.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mishawaka Utilities water safe to drink? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities (PWS ID: IN5271009) has 19 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 5 PFAS compounds found. This system serves 49,675 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Mishawaka Utilities serve? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities serves 49,675 people in Mishawaka, Indiana. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 17,457 service connections.
What type of violations does Mishawaka Utilities have? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities has 19 total violations: 13 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 5 monitoring/reporting violations, and 6 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Mishawaka Utilities water? ▼
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 5 PFAS compounds in Mishawaka Utilities's water supply: PFHxS, PFOS, PFBS, PFBA, PFPeA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does Mishawaka Utilities use? ▼
Mishawaka Utilities uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.