2025 Consumer Confidence Report Data
BIRCHWOOD WATERWORKS, PWS ID: 86603022

Water System Information

If you would like to know more about the information contained in this report, please contact Tucker Fee at (715) 651-7003.

Opportunity for input on decisions affecting your water quality

Second Tuesday of Each Month at 5:30 pm. Birchwood Village Hall 101 N Main St, Birchwood, WI

Health Information

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe drinking water hotline (800-426-4791).

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune systems disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe drinking water hotline (800-426-4791).

Source(s) of Water

Source ID	Source	Depth (in feet)	Status
1	Groundwater	162	Active

To obtain a summary of the source water assessment please contact, Tucker Fee at (715) 651-7003.

Educational Information

The sources of drinking water, both tap water and bottled water, include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally- occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
• Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which shall provide the same protection for public health.

Definitions

Term	Definition
AL	Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
HA and HAL	HA: Health Advisory. An estimate of acceptable drinking water levels for a chemical substance based on health effects information. HAL: Health Advisory Level is a concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, poses a health risk and may require a system to post a public notice. Health Advisories are determined by US EPA.
HI	HI: Hazard Index: A Hazard Index is used to assess the potential health impacts associated with mixtures of contaminants. Hazard Index guidance for a class of contaminants or mixture of contaminants may be determined by the US EPA or Wisconsin Department of Health Services. If a Health Index is exceeded a system may be required to post a public notice.
Level 1 Assessment	A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine, if possible, why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.
Level 2 Assessment	A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine, if possible, why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system, or both, on multiple occasions.
MCL	Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
MCLG	Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
MFL	million fibers per liter
MRDL	Maximum residual disinfectant level: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
MRDLG	Maximum residual disinfectant level goal: The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
mrem/year	millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)
NTU	Nephelometric Turbidity Units
pCi/l	picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
ppm	parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)
ppb	parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l)
ppt	parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter
ppq	parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter
PHGS	PHGS: Public Health Groundwater Standards are found in NR 140 Groundwater Quality. The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, poses a health risk and may require a system to post a public notice.
RPHGS	RPHGS: Recommended Public Health Groundwater Standards: Groundwater standards proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, poses a health risk and may require a system to post a public notice.
SMCL	Secondary drinking water standards or Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels for contaminants that affect taste, odor, or appearance of the drinking water. The SMCLs do not represent health standards.
TCR	Total Coliform Rule
TT	Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Detected Contaminants

Your water was tested for many contaminants last year. We are allowed to monitor for some contaminants less frequently than once a year. The following tables list only those contaminants which were detected in your water. If a contaminant was detected last year, it will appear in the following tables without a sample date. If the contaminant was not monitored last year, but was detected within the last 5 years, it will appear in the tables below along with the sample date.

Microbiological Contaminants

Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or that a potential pathway exists through which contamination may enter the drinking water distribution system. We found coliforms indicating the need to look for potential problems in water treatment or distribution. When this occurs, we are required to conduct assessments to identify problems and to correct any problems that were found during these assessments.

During the past year, we were required to conduct 1 Level 1 assessment(s). All assessments were completed on time.

Assessments

Assessment Description	Status	Due Date	Completed	Violation
Perform Level 1 Assessment: Multiple Total Coliform-positive samples	COMPLETE	3/16/2025	3/7/2025	No

Inorganic Contaminants

Contaminant (units)	Site	MCL	MCLG	Level Found	Range	Sample Date (if prior to 2025)	Violation	Typical Source of Contaminant
BARIUM (ppm)		2	2	0.005	0.005	9/26/2023	No	Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
FLUORIDE (ppm)		4	4	0.1	0.1	9/26/2023	No	Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
NITRATE (N03-N) (ppm)		10	10	1.08	1.08		No	Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
SODIUM (ppm)		n/a	n/a	3.70	3.70	9/26/2023	No	n/a

Contaminant (units)	Action Level	MCLG	90th Percentile Level Found	Range	# of Results	Sample Date (if prior to 2025)	Violation	Typical Source of Contaminant
COPPER (ppm)	AL=1.3	1.3	0.7390	0.0250 – 1.0900	0 of 10 results were above the action level.		No	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
LEAD (ppb)	AL=15	0	1.00	0.00 – 3.00	0 of 10 results were above the action level.		No	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

Additional Health Information

Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Birchwood Waterworks is responsible for providing high quality drinking water and removing lead pipes, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components in your home. You share the responsibility for protecting yourself and your family from the lead in your home plumbing. You can take responsibility by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family’s risk. Before drinking tap water, flush your pipes for several minutes by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. You can also use a filter certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead in drinking water. If you are concerned about lead in your water and wish to have your water tested, contact Birchwood Waterworks (Tucker Fee at (715) 651-7003). Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Additional Information on Service Line Materials

We developed an inventory of service lines connected to our distribution system. You can access the inventory by following these instructions: www.birchwoodvillagewi.com

Other Compliance

Monitoring Violations

Description	Contaminant Group	Sample Location	Compliance Period Beginning	Compliance Period Ending
Chem M/R – Reg – No Regular samples	Nitrate	1	1/1/2025	9/30/2025

We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not your drinking water meets health standards. During the compliance period noted in the above table, we did not complete all monitoring or testing for the contaminant(s) noted, and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking water during that time.

Actions Taken

Sampled on 11/10/25, outside the compliance period.