Water Quality

Safe, clean drinking water is what occupants expect when they use drinking fountains and faucets in our buildings. The DNR Bureau of Drinking and Groundwater manages activities that affect the safety, quality and availability of drinking water.

Many different types of contaminants can be present in our drinking water:

• Lead
• Copper
• Nitrates
• VOC's
• IOC's
• SOC's
• Arsenic
• Coliform Bacteria

EMC has certifed water system operators who can help test you water.

Public water systems and most larger buildings with their own wells are required to test their systems annually within the DNR water quality programs. Annual schedules are published at the beginning of each year that detail sampling requirements for the year.

The DNR hosts a water quality database on their website where users of the system can review sample results, schedules, violations, etc.

Buildings on "City Water" do not have any specific sampling requirements as the supplier is responsible for testing. Occasionally, a site-specific contaminant may be present where a building owner may want to test their own system. An example of this could include lead piping within the building.

Some Homeowners also have sampling requirements.

• Have a trained Certified Well Operator listed with the DNR
• Complete annual sampling requirements as mandated by the DNR
• Periodically review water results
• Communicate any violations or exceedance to the system users