Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
RACINE WATERWORKS
RACINE WATERWORKS delivers tap water graded D (55/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 105,100 residents in RACINE, Wisconsin using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total PFOS and PFOA significantly above health guideline; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic detected.
Is RACINE tap water safe to drink?
RACINE WATERWORKS delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (55/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including pfas contamination.
The utility serves 105,100 residents in RACINE, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 18 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total PFOS and PFOA, Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Arsenic, Dibromoacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Trichloroacetic acid, Dichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Chromium (hexavalent), Radium, combined (-226 and -228), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Nitrate and nitrite, Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Bromoform. For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.
Quick actions for RACINE residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for RACINE WATERWORKS.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 26.7 ppb, 446x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total PFOS and PFOA significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal PFOS and PFOA detected at 3.09 ppt, 441x above the EWG health guideline of 0.007 ppt.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 0.227 ppt, 227x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Arsenic detected
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 0.355 ppb.
Contact RACINE WATERWORKS
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for RACINE
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 55/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
Contaminants detected — international standards comparison
Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
26.7 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 446× over |
| Total PFOS and PFOA PFAS |
3.09 ppt | 0.007 | — | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 441× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.227 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 227× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
32.7 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 218× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
10.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 174× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
16.3 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 163× over |
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
0.355 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 89× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.75 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 58× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.81 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 58× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
5.31 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 53× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
7.7 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 39× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
15.2 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 38× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.203 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 10× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.42 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 8.4× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.617 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 6.9× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.5 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 3.6× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.928 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 3.1× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.902 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.8× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
0.23 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | Below guideline |
| Atrazine Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.0227 ppb | 0.1 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 100 | 0.15 | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
21.3 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.755 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
0.786 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
1.55 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.815 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.112 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.483 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.303 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.136 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
0.085 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.675 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Metolachlor Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.0055 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
RACINE WATERWORKS service area
This water system serves 1 community in Racine County, Wisconsin. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for RACINE water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.