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Community Water System · PWS WI6030129

Chetek Waterworks

Chetek, Wisconsin 54728 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 1,931 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

1,931
People served
623
EPA violations
18
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 623 drinking-water violations at Chetek Waterworks, 3% of them health-based - above the Wisconsin per-system average.

623
Total EPA violations on record
3%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
1,931
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Chetek Waterworks

Chetek Waterworks is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,931 residents in Chetek, Wisconsin (Barron County) through 715 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 623 total violations for this system , of which 18 (3%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 600 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2021.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 18 violations (MCL, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Wisconsin, EPA tracks 10,988 public water systems serving 5,131,439 people, with 285,161 cumulative violations and 58,688 health-based violations on record. About 72% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 26 violations. Statewide, 78 of 202 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (38.6%).

Chetek Waterworks's 623 violations sit above the Wisconsin average.

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

Population Served
1,931
Total Violations
623
Health-Based Violations
18
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
715
County
Barron
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
18
Monitoring Violations
600
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 18 2007
Coliform (TCR) MR 12 2009
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 10 1999
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 10 1999
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 10 1999
Toluene MR 10 1999
Benzene MR 10 1999
Trichloroethylene MR 10 1999
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 10 1999
Carbon tetrachloride MR 10 1999
Ethylbenzene MR 10 1999
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 10 1999
Vinyl chloride MR 10 1999
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 10 1999
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 10 1999
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 10 1999
Xylenes, Total MR 10 1999
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 10 1999
Tetrachloroethylene MR 10 1999
CHLOROBENZENE MR 10 1999
Barium MR 10 1999
Cadmium MR 10 1999
Mercury MR 10 1999
Nitrate-Nitrite MR 10 1999
Selenium MR 10 1999
Antimony, Total MR 10 1999
Beryllium, Total MR 10 1999
Thallium, Total MR 10 1999
Arsenic MR 10 1999
Nitrite MR 10 1999

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 Chetek Waterworks.

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 WI6030129 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Wisconsin Drinking Water Authority

Wisconsin DNR, Drinking Water and Groundwater is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Chetek Waterworks under EPA-delegated authority.

Open WI regulator portal

Source: Wisconsin DNR, Drinking Water and Groundwater

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
2021 Nitrate MR 8 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 1040
2009 Coliform (TCR) MR 12 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 3100
2007 Coliform (TCR) MCL 18 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 3100
2001 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 7000
1999 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2977
1999 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2980
1999 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2979
1999 Toluene MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2991
1999 Benzene MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2990
1999 Trichloroethylene MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2984
1999 1,2-Dichloropropane MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2983
1999 Carbon tetrachloride MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2982
1999 Ethylbenzene MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2992
1999 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2981
1999 Vinyl chloride MR 10 SDWIS / WI6030129 / 2976

How Chetek Waterworks Compares

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

Metric Chetek Waterworks Wisconsin avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 623 26 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 18 5.3 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 38.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 1,931 467 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 10,988 regulated public water systems in Wisconsin.

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 Chetek Waterworks water safe to drink? ▼
Chetek Waterworks (PWS ID: WI6030129) has 623 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,931 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Chetek Waterworks serve? ▼
Chetek Waterworks serves 1,931 people in Chetek, Wisconsin. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 715 service connections.
What type of violations does Chetek Waterworks have? ▼
Chetek Waterworks has 623 total violations: 18 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 600 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Chetek Waterworks water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Chetek Waterworks under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Chetek Waterworks use? ▼
Chetek Waterworks 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. 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.