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Community Water System · PWS WI8550278

Sheldon Water Utility

Sheldon, Wisconsin 54766 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 265 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

265
People served
436
EPA violations
125
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 436 drinking-water violations at Sheldon Water Utility, 29% of them health-based - above the Wisconsin per-system average.

436
Total EPA violations on record
29%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
265
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Sheldon Water Utility

Sheldon Water Utility is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 265 residents in Sheldon, Wisconsin (Rusk County) through 98 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 436 total violations for this system , of which 125 (29%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 269 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 111 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, 51 of 202 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (25.2%).

Sheldon Water Utility's 436 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
265
Total Violations
436
Health-Based Violations
125
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
98
County
Rusk
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
111
Monitoring Violations
269
Treatment Tech Violations
14

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 111 2015
Coliform (TCR) MR 32 2013
Nitrate MR 30 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 21 2025
TTHM MR 21 2025
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 21 2025
Public Notice Other 17 2025
Revised Total Coliform Rule RPT 12 2024
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 8 2009
Revised Total Coliform Rule TT 8 2024
Lead and Copper Rule MR 8 2021
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 2009
Xylenes, Total MR 6 2009
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 2009
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 6 2009
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 6 2009
Carbon tetrachloride MR 6 2009
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 6 2009
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 6 2009
Tetrachloroethylene MR 6 2009
CHLOROBENZENE MR 6 2009
Benzene MR 6 2009
Ethylbenzene MR 6 2009
Styrene MR 6 2009
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 6 2009
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 2009
Vinyl chloride MR 6 2009
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 6 2009
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 2009
Toluene MR 6 2009

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 Sheldon Water Utility.

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 WI8550278 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 Sheldon Water Utility 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
2025 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 21 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 8000
2025 TTHM MR 21 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 2950
2025 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 21 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 2456
2025 Public Notice Other 17 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 7500
2025 Groundwater Rule TT 3 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 0700
2024 Revised Total Coliform Rule RPT 12 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 8000
2024 Revised Total Coliform Rule TT 8 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 8000
2023 Nitrate MR 30 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 1040
2023 Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 2 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 0400
2022 Chlorine MR 4 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 0999
2021 Lead and Copper Rule MR 8 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 5000
2015 Coliform (TCR) MCL 111 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 3100
2013 Coliform (TCR) MR 32 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 3100
2009 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 8 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 4000
2009 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 SDWIS / WI8550278 / 2380

How Sheldon Water Utility Compares

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

Metric Sheldon Water Utility Wisconsin avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 436 26 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 125 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 265 467 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 Sheldon Water Utility water safe to drink? ▼
Sheldon Water Utility (PWS ID: WI8550278) has 436 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 265 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Sheldon Water Utility serve? ▼
Sheldon Water Utility serves 265 people in Sheldon, Wisconsin. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 98 service connections.
What type of violations does Sheldon Water Utility have? ▼
Sheldon Water Utility has 436 total violations: 125 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 269 monitoring/reporting violations, and 14 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Sheldon Water Utility water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Sheldon Water Utility under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Sheldon Water Utility use? ▼
Sheldon Water Utility 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.