Appleton Waterworks water quality
Menasha, WI · serves 74,511 people (25,221 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID WI4450333
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level1.3 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 Appleton 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 Dec 2023 to Sep 2024. "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 Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 1.47 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 1 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: 1.3 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Jun 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 11 ppb (Oct 2020).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 0.97 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Oct 2020 | 11 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2017 – Sep 2017 | 5.9 ppb |
| Jun 2014 – Sep 2014 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jun 2011 – Sep 2011 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 3.8 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 3.6 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Dec 1999 | 4.5 ppb |
| Jul 1998 – Dec 1998 | 6 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Dec 1997 | 5 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 | 1.83 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.46 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 132 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.079 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 5.57 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Menasha
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 54911, 54912, 54913, 54914, 54915, 54919, 54952
Nearby utilities
- Oshkosh Waterworks Oshkosh · 15 mi
- Marshfield Utilities Marshfield · 27 mi · PFAS above limit
- Green Bay Waterworks Green Bay · 31 mi
- Waupaca Waterworks Waupaca · 32 mi · PFAS above limit
- Kewaskum Waterworks Kewaskum · 49 mi · PFAS above limit
- Saukville Waterworks Saukville · 59 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Appleton Waterworks water safe to drink?
Appleton 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 Appleton Waterworks water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Appleton Waterworks found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Appleton Waterworks water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Appleton Waterworks is 1.3 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 WI4450333: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WI4450333).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Appleton 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.