Community Water System · PWS WI1110038
Columbus Utilities
Operator location Columbus, Wisconsin - larger served population (> 3,309) at 5,173 people served; 151 SDWIS violations on record from groundwater sources.
- 5,173
- People served (this PWS)
- 151
- EPA violations (this PWS)
- 24
- Health-based (this PWS)
- No PFAS
- UCMR5 (this PWS)
Columbus Utilities standing, high SDWIS violation third
5,173 people served (SDWIS) - larger served population (> 3,309). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 16% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: UCMR5 tested, none detected. Population rank #7,561 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.
The verdict
Columbus Utilities sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (151), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is large (5,173; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 16% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 tested this system and reported no PFAS above the minimum reporting level.
- #7,561 of 29,740
- Population · /systems
- #139 of 744
- Population · WI
- 151
- Total EPA violations on record
- 16%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 1,915
- County
- Columbia
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 13
- Monitoring Violations
- 116
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 11
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 13 | 1994 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | TT | 11 | 2019 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 10 | 2023 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Vinyl chloride | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| CHLOROBENZENE | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Toluene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Ethylbenzene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Xylenes, Total | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Trichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Styrene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Benzene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 1995 |
| Groundwater Rule | Other | 4 | 2019 |
| Public Notice | Other | 2 | 2010 |
| Nitrate | MR | 1 | 1993 |
Violation Count vs. the National Corpus
Columbus Utilities has 151 recorded EPA violations, 81% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 19% carry more. 16% of this system's own violations are health-based (24 of 151), and it ranks #7,561 of 29,740 by population served among that same cohort.
EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus
Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)
151 Higher than most more violations than 81% of 29,740 water systems
the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15
PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)
Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 116 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFEESA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 7/23/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 7/23/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 7/23/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 7/23/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 7/23/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 7/23/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 7/23/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 7/23/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 7/23/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 7/23/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 7/23/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 7/23/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 7/23/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
Population served record for Columbus Utilities
EPA SDWIS lists 5,173 people served and 1,915 connections for this PWS, confirm the service-area footprint on the federal report before comparing to municipal census totals.
Sources: EPA SDWIS · Wisconsin DNR, Drinking Water and Groundwater
Nationwide peers
151 violations · 5,173 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.
Cross-state systems with comparable violation load
Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.
Cross-state systems with similar served population
Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).
What to do with Columbus Utilities
Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.
- See how every tracked system in Wisconsin compares on the same EPA violation measures. Wisconsin systems
- Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
- Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems
EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.