Is Eau Claire, WI tap water safe?
Supplied by Eau Claire Waterworks · serves 70,587 people (26,997 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID WI6180230
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Eau Claire gets its water from Eau Claire Waterworks. Parts of the city are served by 7 smaller systems: Villa Diann MHP (420 people), Pine Edge MHP (300 people), Priory the Water System (185 people), Cozy MHP LLC Front (111 people) and 3 more. Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level2 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 2023. 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.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Eau Claire 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 Jul 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 Rounds to the limit Limit 10 ppt | 10.1 ppt at the limit |
| 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) Rounds to the limit Limit 1 | 1.01 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 1.5 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
Why "rounds to the limit"? the PFHxS average (10.1 ppt) and the Hazard Index (1.01) are slightly above the number on paper, but EPA compares results after rounding to the limit's precision (4.4 ppt rounds to 4), so they meet the limit as EPA applies it. Close enough to the limit to be worth watching.
29 PFAS tested, 2 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 2 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 2 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Jun 2023). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7.6 ppb (Sep 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Jun 2023 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 4 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Oct 2020 | 3.9 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jun 2017 – Sep 2017 | 7.6 ppb |
| Jun 2014 – Sep 2014 | 5.2 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Dec 1999 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jul 1998 – Dec 1998 | 18 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Dec 1997 | 4.9 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Jun 1997 | 6.7 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 | 5.42 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 102 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.052 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.34 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.68 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Eau Claire
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 54701, 54702, 54703
Nearby utilities
- Hartland Waterworks Hartland · 48 mi · PFAS above limit
- Prescott Waterworks Prescott · 64 mi · PFAS above limit
- La Crosse Waterworks La Crosse · 70 mi · PFAS above limit
- Tomahawk Waterworks Tomahawk · 88 mi · PFAS above limit
- Rib Mountain Water Utility Wausau · 91 mi · PFAS above limit
- Schofield Waterworks Schofield · 92 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Eau Claire tap water safe to drink?
Most of Eau Claire gets its water from Eau Claire Waterworks. Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Eau Claire Waterworks found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Eau Claire water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Eau Claire Waterworks is 2 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2023. 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 WI6180230: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WI6180230).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Eau Claire 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.