Public water system · WI6490330
ActiveBalsam Lake Waterworks
At a glance
Balsam Lake Waterworks (PWSID WI6490330) is an active community water system in Polk County, Wisconsin. It reports serving 1,031 people through 381 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2012.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,031
Service connections
381
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Balsam Lake Waterworks compare with other water systems in Polk County?
By EPA's size categories, Balsam Lake Waterworks is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Polk County has 187 active public water systems. Its population served is about 8.5 times the county average of 121 people per system, and accounts for 4.5% of the 22,690 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Wisconsin, the 11,056 active systems average 469 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Balsam Lake Waterworks is well below 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. Wisconsin has 1,053 active community water systems, 9.5% of the state's 11,056 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 10,978 Wisconsin systems (99%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Balsam Lake Waterworks?
EPA lists Balsam Lake Waterworks as owned by a local government. The WI state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 20 of the 187 active systems in Polk County (11%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Balsam Lake Waterworks have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2012. The violations listed here began between January 1993 and January 2012. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 4 contaminant level above the legal limit and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 8 as resolved and 3 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 1993-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 1993-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
All 11 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.
Balsam Lake Waterworks: frequently asked questions
Who runs Balsam Lake Waterworks?
Balsam Lake Waterworks (PWSID WI6490330) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the WI state drinking water program.
How many people does Balsam Lake Waterworks serve?
Balsam Lake Waterworks reports serving 1,031 people through 381 service connections in Polk County, Wisconsin.
Where does Balsam Lake Waterworks 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 Balsam Lake Waterworks have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2012. 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 Balsam Lake Waterworks' 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 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2012. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the WI state drinking water program.
Where can I find Balsam Lake Waterworks' water quality report?
As a community water system, Balsam Lake Waterworks 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 Polk County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amery Waterworks | Polk | 2,962 | Community | Groundwater |
| Osceola Waterworks | Polk | 2,680 | Community | Groundwater |
| St Croix Falls Waterworks | Polk | 2,079 | Community | Groundwater |
| Frederic Waterworks | Polk | 1,241 | Community | Groundwater |
| Luck Waterworks | Polk | 1,150 | Community | Groundwater |
| Clear Lake Waterworks | Polk | 1,061 | 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, “Balsam Lake Waterworks, PWSID WI6490330, Wisconsin”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/wisconsin/balsam-lake-waterworks-wi6490330 (data as of October 1, 2026).