Public water system · MI0000160
ActiveAlpena, City of
At a glance
City of Alpena (PWSID MI0000160) is an active community water system in Alpena County, Michigan. It reports serving 10,128 people through 4,640 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
10,128
Service connections
4,640
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Alpena compare with other water systems in Alpena County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Alpena is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Alpena County has 48 active public water systems, and City of Alpena is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 25 times the county average of 407 people per system, and accounts for 52% of the 19,548 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Michigan, the 10,599 active systems average 847 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Alpena is about 51% above that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Michigan has 1,332 active community water systems, 13% of the state's 10,599 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 68 Michigan systems (0.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Alpena?
EPA lists City of Alpena as owned by a local government. The MI state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 4 of the 48 active systems in Alpena County (8.3%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Alpena have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between May 2019 and July 2025. By type: 1 reporting and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and Surface Water Treatment Rule. EPA lists 2 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
All 2 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
City of Alpena: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Alpena?
City of Alpena (PWSID MI0000160) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MI state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Alpena serve?
City of Alpena reports serving 10,128 people through 4,640 service connections in Alpena County, Michigan.
Where does City of Alpena get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does City of Alpena have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is City of Alpena's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MI state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Alpena's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Alpena must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Alpena County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Township of Alpena | Alpena | 5,839 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Sanborn Elementary School | Alpena | 370 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Wilson Community School | Alpena | 320 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Seymours Grocery | Alpena | 300 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| St. Paul Lutheran Church - Hubbard Lk | Alpena | 230 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Hinks School | Alpena | 225 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Alpena, City of, PWSID MI0000160, Michigan”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/michigan/alpena-city-of-mi0000160 (data as of October 1, 2026).