Waukesha County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Waukesha County, Wisconsin has about 417,029 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 73 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Waukesha Water Utility, serving about 70,718 people from surface water.

! 1 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 2 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 16.1 gpg (low confidence)

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

How hard is Waukesha County water?

Waukesha Water Utility Estimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence

16.1 gpg (275 mg/L), very hard

Waukesha County: median of 872 results from 225 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.

Source: Hard Water Map county data, samples through 2026

County estimates: Hard Water Map (hardwatermap.com), CC BY 4.0, derived from the USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal; file generated 2026-07-22. License

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Softener size at 16.1 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 19,272 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain. This uses a low-confidence county estimate, so confirm with a test first.

Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Open the softener calculator with 16.1 gpg

Largest water systems in Waukesha County

The 6 biggest of 73 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Waukesha Water Utility

WI2680238 · serves about 70,718 people · Surface water

! 42 health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 0.6 ppb (period starting 2024-07-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Brookfield Water Utility

WI2680253 · serves about 29,070 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (4 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 1.5 ppb (period starting 2023-06-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBS: highest sample 4.7 ppt (4 of 34 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFPeA: highest sample 4.4 ppt (6 of 34 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 3.3 ppt (1 of 34 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxS: highest sample 3.2 ppt (2 of 34 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)

EPA ECHO record

New Berlin Water Utility

WI2680217 · serves about 27,899 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 0.3 ppb (period starting 2023-06-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Menomonee Falls Ww - Surface Water

WI2680082 · serves about 23,867 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 2.1 ppb (period starting 2023-06-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Oconomowoc Waterworks

WI2680227 · serves about 15,805 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (2 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 6.8 ppb (period starting 2023-06-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBA: highest sample 5.4 ppt (2 of 8 samples); no federal limit
  • PFBS: highest sample 4.6 ppt (2 of 8 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit

EPA ECHO record

Sussex Village Hall & Water Utility

WI2680233 · serves about 11,750 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 1.8 ppb (period starting 2020-07-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.

Test your own tap

These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.

Common questions about Waukesha County water

Is tap water in Waukesha County safe to drink?

1 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Waukesha Water Utility's most recent lead 90th percentile was 0.6 ppb (2024), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.

How hard is the water in Waukesha County?

There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Waukesha County have a median of about 16.1 grains per gallon (275 mg/L, very hard). That's a low-confidence estimate of source water, not your tap, so test before you buy equipment. For a 3-person home at 16.1 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Waukesha County water?

2 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.

Which water system serves my address in Waukesha County?

Most homes are served by Waukesha Water Utility or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.

More Wisconsin counties

Sources for this page

Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.