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Community Water System · PWS WI7370149

Athens Waterworks

Athens, Wisconsin 54411-0164 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 1,025 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

1,025
People served
170
EPA violations
2
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 170 drinking-water violations at Athens Waterworks, 1% of them health-based - above the Wisconsin per-system average.

170
Total EPA violations on record
1%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
1,025
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Athens Waterworks

Athens Waterworks is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,025 residents in Athens, Wisconsin (Marathon County) through 436 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 170 total violations for this system , of which 2 (1%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 157 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

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, 78 of 202 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (38.6%).

Athens Waterworks's 170 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
1,025
Total Violations
170
Health-Based Violations
2
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
436
County
Marathon
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
157
Treatment Tech Violations
2

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 13 2010
Chlorine MR 9 2010
Endrin MR 5 2002
Methoxychlor MR 5 2002
Dalapon MR 5 2002
Diquat MR 5 2002
Endothall MR 5 2002
Pentachlorophenol MR 5 2002
2,4-D MR 5 2002
Heptachlor epoxide MR 5 2002
Atrazine MR 5 2002
Chlordane MR 5 2002
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 5 2002
Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 2021
BHC-GAMMA MR 5 2002
Glyphosate MR 5 2002
Simazine MR 5 2002
Picloram MR 5 2002
Carbofuran MR 5 2002
LASSO MR 5 2002
2,4,5-TP MR 5 2002
HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 5 2002
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 5 2002
Dinoseb MR 5 2002
Heptachlor MR 5 2002
Toxaphene MR 5 2002
OXAMYL MR 5 2002
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 2024
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 2003
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 2 2018

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 Athens 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 WI7370149 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 Athens 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
2024 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 8000
2021 Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 5000
2018 Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 2 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 0400
2010 Coliform (TCR) MR 13 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 3100
2010 Chlorine MR 9 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 0999
2003 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 7000
2002 Endrin MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2005
2002 Methoxychlor MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2015
2002 Dalapon MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2031
2002 Diquat MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2032
2002 Endothall MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2033
2002 Pentachlorophenol MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2326
2002 2,4-D MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2105
2002 Heptachlor epoxide MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2067
2002 Atrazine MR 5 SDWIS / WI7370149 / 2050

How Athens Waterworks Compares

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

Metric Athens Waterworks Wisconsin avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 170 26 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 2 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 1,025 467 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 Athens Waterworks water safe to drink? ▼
Athens Waterworks (PWS ID: WI7370149) has 170 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,025 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Athens Waterworks serve? ▼
Athens Waterworks serves 1,025 people in Athens, Wisconsin. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 436 service connections.
What type of violations does Athens Waterworks have? ▼
Athens Waterworks has 170 total violations: 2 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 157 monitoring/reporting violations, and 2 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Athens Waterworks water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Athens Waterworks under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Athens Waterworks use? ▼
Athens 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.