Is Portage, WI Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Portage's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Nitrate	840 µg/L 8.4% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 4940 µg/L — SADDLE RIDGE ESTATES · 700 people · 2019	3/4	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	767.5 µg/L 7.7% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 4410 µg/L — SADDLE RIDGE ESTATES · 700 people · 2018	4/4	SYR4
Fluoride	1140.5 µg/L 29% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Copper	392.3 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2017	4/4	SYR4
Lead	27.05 µg/L 180% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 121.36 µg/L — SADDLE RIDGE ESTATES · 700 people · 2018	3/4	SYR4
Barium	16.05 µg/L 0.8% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 26.2 µg/L — OAKWOOD TERRACE · 100 people · 2018	4/4	SYR4
TTHM	17.299 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	5.7225 µg/L 9.5% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Chloroform	5.69 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	5.5 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	5 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	4.202 pCi/L 84% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: SADDLE RIDGE ESTATES · 700 people · 2018	3/4	SYR4
Chromium	3.8 µg/L 3.8% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Highest in the city: OAKWOOD TERRACE · 100 people · 2018	1/4	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	3.7 pCi/L 25% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: SADDLE RIDGE ESTATES · 700 people · 2015	3/4	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	3.36 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate	2.6 µg/L 43% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: OAKWOOD TERRACE · 100 people · 2018	1/4	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	1.39 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	1.33 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2019	1/4	SYR4
Combined Uranium	0.5900 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Highest in the city: SADDLE RIDGE ESTATES · 700 people · 2018	1/4	SYR4
PFHXS	0.0081 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2025	1/4	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0062 mg/L 41% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: PORTAGE WATERWORKS · 10,437 people · 2023	4/4	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Portage

Supplier	Population served
PORTAGE WATERWORKS	10,437
SADDLE RIDGE ESTATES	700
OAKWOOD TERRACE	100
SUBURBAN HEIGHTS MHP	90

Frequently asked questions about Portage tap water

Is Portage tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 21 contaminants in the water serving Portage. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Portage?

4 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Portage, Wisconsin to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Portage's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Portage include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, Copper, Lead. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.