Well water in Waupaca County, Wisconsin

In Waupaca County, 12% of 492 private wells tested between 1990 and 2025 had total coliform above the Wisconsin limit (any detection), according to the UWSP Well Water Quality Viewer.

1,905 private wells tested 1999 to 2025 in state summaries; 41 individual samples from 16 wells, 1946 to 2024. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

What homeowner tests found

Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: private wells tested and reported to the state, 1999 to 2025. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA. County and state figures combine the town summaries, weighted by wells tested; medians are not combined.

Contaminant	Wells tested	Above state level	Highest	State level
Sodium	83	20%	149	20 mg/L
Iron	85	13%	7,911	300 ug/L
Total coliform	492	12%
Nitrate	1,905	7%	57.7	10 mg/L
Arsenic	313	5%	22	10 ug/L
Copper	103	<1%	1.9	1.3 mg/L
Manganese	103	<1%	704	300 ug/L
Chloride	463	<1%	322	250 mg/L
Lead	110	0%	14	15 ug/L
E. coli	41	0%

What individual samples found

Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Waupaca County. Above limit means above the EPA maximum contaminant level; where EPA has no enforceable limit, the row shows a health guideline or nuisance level instead.

Contaminant	Samples	Detected	Above limit		Median	Highest	Limit
Uranium 1994 to 2024	41	90%	0%		0.559	11.9	30 ug/L EPA limit
Radium (226 + 228) 2003 to 2014	15	73%	0%		0.11	0.64	5 pCi/L EPA limit

Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Arsenic (3), Lead (4), Nitrate (2), Fluoride (1), Copper (1), Iron (4), Radon (2), Manganese (1).

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What this means

Among homeowners in Waupaca County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were total coliform (12% of 492 wells), nitrate (7% of 1,905 wells), and arsenic (5% of 313 wells). These are ordinary wells tested by their owners, so the shares are the best available picture of a typical well here, with one caveat: people test more often when they suspect a problem.

Sodium and iron exceed the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; these are mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.

What to test for in Waupaca County

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)97 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Sodium20% of 83 local wells tested were above the EPA advisory level.
Iron13% of 85 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin nuisance level.
Total coliform12% of 492 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin limit (any detection).
Nitrate7% of 1,905 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Arsenic5% of 313 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Copper<1% of 103 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Manganese<1% of 103 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Chloride<1% of 463 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin nuisance level.

Contamination sources on record in Waupaca County

Wisconsin DNR records 97 leaking underground storage tank sites in Waupaca County, among 334 regulated sites in total. Groundwater does not follow property lines, so a well within a few hundred feet of one of these is worth testing for what that site could release.

97: leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
52: lined landfills and transfer facilities
185: other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

Total coliform: Inspect and repair the well cap and casing, then shock chlorinate and retest; UV disinfection whole-house; Chlorination system
Nitrate: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Sodium: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
Iron: Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
Fluoride: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
Copper: Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis

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Common questions

Is there arsenic in well water in Waupaca County?

Arsenic was detected in 67% of 3 public well samples in Waupaca County, and 33% were above the EPA limit of 10 ug/L. Arsenic has no taste or smell; a lab test is the only way to know your level.

How high is radon in well water in Waupaca County?

The median radon level across 2 public samples in Waupaca County was 460 pCi/L, with a high of 750 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Waupaca County?

Test for bacteria and nitrate every year. Test once for arsenic, uranium, radon, fluoride, manganese and PFAS, then again every three to five years or after any change in taste, color, or plumbing.

Towns in Waupaca County

Caledonia9% nitrate
Dayton14% nitrate
Dupont3% nitrate
Farmington12% nitrate
Fremont0% nitrate
Harrison6% nitrate
Helvetia0% nitrate
Iola3% nitrate
Larrabee10% nitrate
Lebanon16% total coliform
Lind5% nitrate
Little Wolf10% total coliform
Manawa6% nitrate
Matteson27% arsenic
Mukwa4% nitrate
Royalton0% nitrate
Scandinavia13% total coliform
St. Lawrence10% total coliform
Union11% nitrate
Waupaca3% nitrate

14 towns have fewer than 30 public samples and are included in the Waupaca County totals above rather than shown separately: Bear Creek, Big Falls village, Clintonville, Embarrass village, Fremont village, Iola village, Marion, New London, Ogdensburg village, Scandinavia village, Waupaca, Weyauwega, Weyauwega, Wyoming.

Sources

USGS Water Quality Portal: 74 samples in Waupaca County. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: summaries for 10 contaminants in Waupaca County, up to 1,905 wells each. Private well samples compiled by the UWSP Center for Watershed Science and Education from the DNR Groundwater Retrieval Network, DATCP surveys, the UWSP Water and Environmental Analysis Lab and county health programs, published in the Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer with Wisconsin DHS. Samples are located to the town, village or city they fall in; one result per well and parameter (the latest) so repeat samples do not double count; wells without a state well number are keyed by location. Shares are against Wisconsin NR 140 enforcement standards (arsenic 10 ug/L, nitrate 10 mg/L as N, manganese 300 ug/L, lead 15 ug/L, copper 1.3 mg/L) and the iron and chloride secondary levels. Many samples were submitted by homeowners with a reason to test, so shares can run above a random survey. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
Wisconsin DNR regulated sites: 334 regulated sites located in Waupaca County. Open and closed remediation activities (BRRTS, including leaking underground storage tanks and spills) and landfill and waste sites from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved September 9, 2026.

Non-detects count as samples and are treated as zero when computing medians. Exactly at the limit counts as not above it. A sample belongs to the town containing the well's reported coordinates.