Spanish: Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable. Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda.
Hmong: Dlaim ntawv tshaabzu nuav muaj lug tseemceeb heev nyob rua huv kws has txug cov dlej mej haus. Kuas ib tug paab txhais rua koj, los nrug ib tug kws paub lug thaam.

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We’re pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Quality Water Report.  This report is designed to inform you about the quality of water we deliver to you every day.  If you have any questions about this report, please feel free to contact Public Works Director, George Straubhaar at the DPW office at 608-522-4522.

Our goal at the Village of North Freedom is to provide you with the safest, most dependable supply of water possible. To that end, we have spent many thousands of dollars on sampling our water, improving our treatment processes, and safeguarding our water resources.  As you’ll see in the following pages, North Freedom’s water is safe and meets all Federal and State drinking water requirements.

Water Utility Information

General Information

Our facilities currently include 2 wells and 1 storage facility.  The Water System is overseen by the Village Board and Public Service Commission of WI (PSC).  The Village of North Freedom monthly Regular Board meeting is each 2^nd (second) Monday of the month at 7:00 P.M. in the North Freedom Community Center (105 N Maple St, North Freedom, WI 53951).  These meetings are open to the public and customers are encouraged to attend.

Municipal Drinking Water

Substances in Drinking Water

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals, radioactive materials, and substances resulting from human activity.  All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain minerals and other constituents.  It’s important to remember that the presence of these materials does not necessarily pose a health risk.  More information about contaminants and their respective potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). The State of Wisconsin requires us to regularly test our water for certain contaminants at varying intervals, some of which are less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants is not expected to vary significantly from year to year.  Accordingly, some of our data, though representative, is more than one year old.  The data in the Test Results tables provides a summary of the sample results over the past five years.

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 system 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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

North Freedom’s Water

All our water is supplied from two groundwater wells that draw water from sandstone and gravel formations hundreds of feet below the surface of the ground.  Although the water from each well has different characteristics due to the makeup of the aquifer formation it draws water from, the water is blended together as it moves throughout the distribution system.  To obtain a summary of the source water assessment, please contact us at 608-522-4522.

Well #                      2             3

Depth (ft)               250         325

Hardness in water at the wells has a range of 135 mg/l to 342 mg/l (average 231 mg/l) and in the system, it ranges from 138 mg/l to 353 mg/l (average 248 mg/l) (17-18 grains/gal.).  pH in water at the wells has a range of 7.12 to 7.86 (average 7.37) and in the system, it ranges from 7.22 to 7.52 (average 7.35).  

Water Additives

We currently add chlorine as a disinfectant.  Fluoridation (the addition of Fluoride) was discontinued effective February 1, 2026.  For more information on the Village Board’s decision to discontinue Fluoride, please see the Resolution found at this link:  https://storage.googleapis.com/juniper-media-library/239/2026/01/2026-001%20-%20Fluoride%20Discontinuation.pdf, or call the Public Works Office at 608-522-4522.

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 metal, which can be natural-occurring or result from urban storm water 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 storm water 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 storm water 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.

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.

Lead and copper

 Contaminant Health Effects – LEAD

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.

Contaminant Health Effects – COPPER

Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilsons Disease should consult their personal doctor.

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. North Freedom 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 North Freedom Waterworks (George Straubhaar at (608) 522-4522). 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.

Inorganic Contaminants

 Disinfection Byproducts

Additional Information on Service Line Materials
We were required to develop an initial inventory of service lines connected to our distribution system by October 16, 2024 and to make the inventory publicly accessible.  You can access the service line inventory by contacting the Director of Public Works Office at 608-522-4522 for an electronic copy.  All service lines were inventoried and there was no detected lead piping.  However, there is a portion of the street and private side service lines made from Galvanized materials and those pipes may have absorbed lead.  Property owners with confirmed Galvanized Service Lines or Unknown Material Service Lines will receive yearly letters until there are no confirmed Galvanized Service Lines or Unknown Material Service Lines.  If you replace your Galvanized or Unknown Material Service Lines, please contact the Public Works Office at 608-522-4522 to schedule a confirmation inspection for the Village/DNR’s records.

 Definition of Terms