Water Service Outages in Vermont by City
92% of Vermont's 405 community water systems serve 3,300 people or fewer, so many outages and boil water notices affect a single small town or subdivision.
Vermont drinking water record
Busiest year: 2024 (50 violations). Counted by the year the violation period began. Source: EPA SDWIS.
- Community water systems: 405 active systems serve about 465,404 people. 371 of them (92%) serve 3,300 people or fewer; 321 draw mainly on groundwater and 81 on surface water.
- Health-based violations since 2015: 264, at 96 systems (24% of all systems). That share is 14th of 50 states (1 = lowest).
- Most common problems: contaminant averages over the limit (154); E. coli (15); water chemistry for corrosion control (11). Source: EPA SDWIS
- Largest system: Burlington Dept Public Works Water Div, about 42,000 people, with 0 health-based violations since 2015. Source: EPA SDWIS
- Housing age: the median Vermont home was built in 1976 (US 1980). Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (table B25035)
- Storm damage to water service: NOAA storm narratives mention water mains, boil water notices or lost water service in 1 episodes in Vermont since 2015. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- February 1, 2015, Western Chittenden (cold/wind chill): “Damage to infrastructure, frozen water mains, etc. has totaled at least $1 million.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
| System | People served | Main source | Health violations since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington Dept Public Works Water Div | 42,000 | Surface water | 0 |
| South Burlington City Water System | 19,500 | Bought surface water | 0 |
| Rutland City Water Dept | 18,500 | Surface water | 0 |
| Barre City Water System | 14,000 | Surface water | 0 |
| Bennington Water Dept | 13,250 | Surface water | 0 |
| Brattleboro Water Dept | 12,200 | Surface water | 0 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Vermont is 2nd of 4 (1 = lowest share). Source: EPA SDWIS.
Checked September 2026.
Who to call in Vermont, city by city
4 Vermont cities on this site and the water utility for each. What to do while you wait is in our water service outage guide.
- Burlington Burlington Department of Public Works – Water Resources
- Essex Champlain Water District
- South Burlington Champlain Water District
- Montpelier City of Montpelier Water
Frequently asked questions
Is there a water service outage in Vermont right now?
Not on this site: no reports from Vermont in the last 24 hours.
How many public water systems are in Vermont?
EPA records list 405 active community water systems in Vermont, serving about 465,404 people. 92% serve 3,300 people or fewer.
How common are drinking water violations in Vermont?
Since 2015, 96 of 405 community water systems in Vermont (24%) have had at least one health-based violation, 264 in total.
What is the largest water system in Vermont?
Burlington Dept Public Works Water Div, which EPA records list as serving about 42,000 people.
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
Cities in Vermont with Water Service Outages Information
Burlington
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 44,843
Burlington Department of Public Works – Water Resources
Essex
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 22,130
Champlain Water District
Montpelier
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 7,835
City of Montpelier Water
South Burlington
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 19,800
Champlain Water District