Community Water System · PWS WI6060232
Nelson Water & Sewer Dept
Nelson, Wisconsin 54756 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 375 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 375
- People served
- 117
- EPA violations
- 3
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 117 drinking-water violations at Nelson Water & Sewer Dept, 3% of them health-based - above the Wisconsin per-system average.
- 117
- Total EPA violations on record
- 3%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 375
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Nelson Water & Sewer Dept
Nelson Water & Sewer Dept is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 375 residents in Nelson, Wisconsin (Buffalo County) through 156 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 117 total violations for this system , of which 3 (3%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 91 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2009.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 13 violations (MR). 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, 51 of 202 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (25.2%).
Nelson Water & Sewer Dept's 117 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.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 156
- County
- Buffalo
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 3
- Monitoring Violations
- 91
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 13 | 2000 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 13 | 2004 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U | MR | 4 | 2009 |
| Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | MR | 4 | 2009 |
| Radium-228 | MR | 4 | 2009 |
| Public Notice | Other | 3 | 2008 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 3 | 1993 |
| Xylenes, Total | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Vinyl chloride | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Trichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| CHLOROBENZENE | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Toluene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Styrene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 3 | 2008 |
| Ethylbenzene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
| Benzene | MR | 3 | 1994 |
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 Nelson Water & Sewer Dept.
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 WI6060232 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Wisconsin Drinking Water Authority
Wisconsin DNR, Drinking Water and Groundwater is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Nelson Water & Sewer Dept under EPA-delegated authority.
Open WI regulator portalViolation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U | MR | 4 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 4000 |
| 2009 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | MR | 4 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 4010 |
| 2009 | Radium-228 | MR | 4 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 4030 |
| 2008 | Public Notice | Other | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 7500 |
| 2008 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 3100 |
| 2004 | Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 13 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 7000 |
| 2000 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 13 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 3100 |
| 1994 | Xylenes, Total | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2955 |
| 1994 | DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2964 |
| 1994 | o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2968 |
| 1994 | Vinyl chloride | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2976 |
| 1994 | 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2977 |
| 1994 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2979 |
| 1994 | 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2980 |
| 1994 | 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | SDWIS / WI6060232 / 2981 |
How Nelson Water & Sewer Dept Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Nelson Water & Sewer Dept | Wisconsin avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 117 | 26 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 3 | 5.3 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 25.2% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 375 | 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 Nelson Water & Sewer Dept water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Nelson Water & Sewer Dept serve? ▼
What type of violations does Nelson Water & Sewer Dept have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Nelson Water & Sewer Dept water? ▼
What water source does Nelson Water & Sewer Dept use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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.