Public water system · WI1110038
ActiveColumbus Utilities
At a glance
Columbus Utilities (PWSID WI1110038) is an active community water system in Columbia County, Wisconsin. It reports serving 5,173 people through 1,915 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, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
5,173
Service connections
1,915
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Columbus Utilities compare with other water systems in Columbia County?
By EPA's size categories, Columbus Utilities is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Columbia County has 140 active public water systems, and Columbus Utilities is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 11 times the county average of 463 people per system, and accounts for 8% of the 64,780 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 Columbus Utilities is about 23% 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 Columbus Utilities?
EPA lists Columbus Utilities 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. 16 of the 140 active systems in Columbia County (11%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Columbus Utilities have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2023. The violations listed here began between January 2006 and October 2023. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 4 required treatment not met and 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (8 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-10-01 | Required treatment not metLead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) · code 64 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-06-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, State · code 05 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-07-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, State · code 05 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Required treatment not metLead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) · code 64 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-01-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2009-01-01 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-01-01 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-01-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | 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.
Columbus Utilities: frequently asked questions
Who runs Columbus Utilities?
Columbus Utilities (PWSID WI1110038) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the WI state drinking water program.
How many people does Columbus Utilities serve?
Columbus Utilities reports serving 5,173 people through 1,915 service connections in Columbia County, Wisconsin.
Where does Columbus Utilities 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 Columbus Utilities have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2023. 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 Columbus Utilities' 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, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2023. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the WI state drinking water program.
Where can I find Columbus Utilities' water quality report?
As a community water system, Columbus Utilities 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 Columbia County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Waterworks | Columbia | 10,437 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wi Dot Rest Area 12 Dekorra West Bound | Columbia | 3,255 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Wisconsin Dells Waterworks | Columbia | 3,232 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lodi Waterworks | Columbia | 3,146 | Community | Groundwater |
| Poynette Waterworks | Columbia | 2,520 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wi Dot Rest Area 11 Dekorra East Bound | Columbia | 2,505 | 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, “Columbus Utilities, PWSID WI1110038, Wisconsin”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/wisconsin/columbus-utilities-wi1110038 (data as of October 1, 2026).