Public water system · MI0005520
ActivePortage
At a glance
Portage (PWSID MI0005520) is an active community water system in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It reports serving 46,292 people through 9,347 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
46,292
Service connections
9,347
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Portage compare with other water systems in Kalamazoo County?
By EPA's size categories, Portage is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Kalamazoo County has 188 active public water systems, and Portage is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 31 times the county average of 1,513 people per system, and accounts for 16% of the 284,488 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 Portage is about 6.9 times 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 10,214 Michigan systems (96%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Portage?
EPA lists Portage 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. 9 of the 188 active systems in Kalamazoo County (4.8%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Portage have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. The violations listed here began between April 2000 and July 2019. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Total coliform bacteria (TCR), Chlorine dioxide and 1,1,2-Trichloroethane. EPA lists 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorine dioxidecode 1008 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1,2-Trichloroethanecode 2985 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Tetrachloroethylenecode 2987 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chlorobenzenecode 2989 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Xylenes, Totalcode 2955 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toluenecode 2991 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Carbon tetrachloridecode 2982 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2380 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2979 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Styrenecode 2996 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent 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.
Portage: frequently asked questions
Who runs Portage?
Portage (PWSID MI0005520) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MI state drinking water program.
How many people does Portage serve?
Portage reports serving 46,292 people through 9,347 service connections in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Where does Portage get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Portage have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. 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 Portage'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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MI state drinking water program.
Where can I find Portage's water quality report?
As a community water system, Portage 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 Kalamazoo County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 192,992 | Community | Groundwater |
| Pfizer | Kalamazoo | 4,000 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Vicksburg | Kalamazoo | 2,906 | Community | Groundwater |
| Galesburg | Kalamazoo | 2,377 | Community | Groundwater |
| Mdot - Galesburg Rest Area | Kalamazoo | 1,932 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Schoolcraft | Kalamazoo + 1 more | 1,405 | 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, “Portage, PWSID MI0005520, Michigan”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/michigan/portage-mi0005520 (data as of October 1, 2026).