Is Wausau, WI tap water safe?

Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it

No federal limits exceeded in EPA data for Wausau Waterworks. 1 PFAS were detected below the limits.

3 public water systems serve parts of Wausau. The largest, Wausau Waterworks, serves 39,994 people, and one system here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.

Largest system

Wausau Waterworks

39,994 people · Groundwater · EPA ID WI7370102

PFAS	Highest average	Limit	Status
PFOA Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFOS Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFHxS Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
PFNA Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected

ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.

Lead: 5.8 ppb at the 90th percentile (Oct 2020, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) No results since 2020
Health-based violations since 2016: 0

Across Wisconsin, 18 of 196 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 4 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Wisconsin results.

Wausau homes and lead pipes

69%

of homes built before 1980 (Wisconsin 57%, US 50%)

32%

built before 1950 (Wisconsin 23%)

42%

of households rent (Wisconsin 32%)

Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.

Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Wausau city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.

Other water systems serving Wausau

Rib Mountain Water Utility
6,398 people · Groundwater · Wisconsin · lists this city
PFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · PFHxS detected
Maine Water Utility
271 people · Groundwater · Wisconsin · lists this city
Not in EPA's PFAS sampleAlso: 2 health-based violations since 2016

How nearby cities compare

City	Main water system	PFAS	Lead (90th pct.)
Stevens Point 30 mi Stevens Point Waterworks	Stevens Point Waterworks	None above limits	2.4 ppb
Appleton 77 mi Appleton Waterworks	Appleton Waterworks	None above limits	1.3 ppb
Neenah 79 mi Neenah Waterworks	Neenah Waterworks	None above limits	10 ppb
Oshkosh 84 mi Oshkosh Waterworks	Oshkosh Waterworks	None above limits	6.1 ppb
De Pere 85 mi De Pere Waterworks Service Area 1	De Pere Waterworks Service Area 1	None above limits	0.66 ppb
Green Bay 87 mi Green Bay Waterworks	Green Bay Waterworks	None above limits	2.5 ppb

Wausau ZIP codes (1)

54401

Questions

Is Wausau tap water safe to drink?

Wausau Waterworks has had no health-based violations since 2016. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.

Who supplies water in Wausau, WI?

3 public water systems serve parts of Wausau. The largest is Wausau Waterworks (39,994 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.

Does Wausau tap water have PFAS?

Wausau Waterworks had 1 PFAS detected at least once in EPA's 2023–2025 testing, all with averages below the federal limits.

Do Wausau homes have lead pipes?

Census estimates put 69% of Wausau homes as built before 1980 (Wisconsin: 57%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. Wausau Waterworks's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.