Is Racine, WI tap water safe?
Supplied by Racine Waterworks · serves 105,100 people (38,925 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID WI2520062
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Racine gets its water from Racine Waterworks. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Wind Point Water Dept (1,804 people). Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from Somers Water Utility. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3.3 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Jun 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Racine Waterworks's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jan 2023 to Oct 2023. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3.3 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Jun 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7.3 ppb (Sep 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 3.3 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 5 ppb |
| Jun 2022 – Sep 2022 | 5.7 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2021 – Sep 2021 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Oct 2020 | 4.7 ppb |
| Jun 2019 – Sep 2019 | 7.3 ppb |
| Jun 2018 – Sep 2018 | 6.9 ppb |
| Jun 2017 – Sep 2017 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jun 2016 – Sep 2016 | 3.6 ppb |
| Jul 2015 – Dec 2015 | 5.3 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Jun 2015 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jun 2014 – Sep 2014 | 19 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 2.38 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.28 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.26 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 1.1 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.15 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Racine
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 53126, 53177, 53402, 53403, 53404, 53405, 53406
Nearby utilities
- Kenosha Water Utility Kenosha · 10 mi
- West Allis Waterworks West Allis · 22 mi
- Milwaukee Waterworks Milwaukee · 25 mi
- Waukesha Water Utility Waukesha · 29 mi
- Pewaukee City Water and Sewer Utility Pewaukee · 32 mi · PFAS above limit
- Lake Geneva Utility Commission Lake Geneva · 33 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Racine tap water safe to drink?
Most of Racine gets its water from Racine Waterworks. Racine Waterworks has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Racine water have PFAS?
EPA tested Racine Waterworks for 29 PFAS between Jan 2023 and Oct 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Racine water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Racine Waterworks is 3.3 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2025. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for WI2520062: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WI2520062).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Racine Waterworks, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.