Appleton, Wisconsin Water Outage Today
Live Appleton water outage reports, Appleton Water Utility’s emergency line and the system’s federal record.
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No water outage reports in Appleton, Wisconsin in the last 24 hours
Who supplies water in Appleton?
Drinking water in Appleton, Wisconsin is supplied by Appleton Water Utility, which handles outages, main breaks and boil water notices for the city.
Public water systems in Wisconsin are regulated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Who runs the water in Appleton: system profile
Federal records name Appleton Waterworks as the public water system for Appleton, with about 74,511 people on its mains. Customers know it as Appleton Water Utility; the name on your bill is the one to call.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Water system in EPA records | Appleton Waterworks (WI4450333) |
| Run by | Local government |
| People served | 74,511 through 25,221 service connections |
| Source of the water | Surface water (rivers, lakes or reservoirs) |
| Active facilities listed by EPA | 1 surface intake, 2 treatment points |
| State regulator | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) |
| Health-based violations since 2015 | 0 |
| Highest lead result (90th percentile) | 11 ppb, action level 15 ppb |
Source: EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Information System).
Source water and treatment in Appleton
Appleton drinks surface water. Appleton Waterworks draws it from rivers, lakes or reservoirs and treats it before it goes into the distribution system.
Why this matters when the water stops. Surface water needs a treatment plant running around the clock, so a plant shutdown, a raw-water pump failure or a long power cut at the plant can lower pressure across the whole service area, not just on one street. Boil water notices are more likely to be citywide after that kind of failure than after a single main break.
Main breaks and shutoffs in Appleton: the usual causes
Which failures hit Appleton hardest follows from its weather, its housing stock and how it is supplied.
- Freezing weather. Appleton sees about 152 days a year with a low at or below 32°F, and 70 days at or below 20°F. The coldest morning in the 2015 through 2025 record came on January 31, 2019. The longest stretch with highs that never rose above freezing ran 36 days, ending March 6, 2015. Frost pushes into shallow service lines first. Mains follow when the ground heaves and thaws, which is why break counts climb a day or two after the temperature swings.
- Older neighborhoods and pipe. 48% of occupied homes in Appleton were built before 1970, against 35.5% nationally. Streets of that age tend to sit on cast iron and early steel mains that are near or past their design life, which is where most breaks start.
- Storm-driven power loss. Thunderstorm wind, hail and tornado reports in Outagamie County number 161 since 2015. Pump stations and treatment plants that depend on We Energies run on the electric grid, so a storm that downs power lines can lower water pressure even when no pipe is damaged.
- Construction and third-party damage. A backhoe or boring crew that hits a main is among the most common reasons a single block goes dry without warning. Utilities handle those the same way as any break: isolate, repair, flush.
- Scheduled work, or a fault inside your own home. Utilities warn customers before a planned shutoff. If nothing was announced and the neighbors are fine, the cause is probably your shutoff valve, meter or pressure regulator.
Freeze, heat and rain: the Appleton weather record
Main break season in Appleton runs from late fall into early spring, with the coldest stretch around December through February.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Days a year at or below 32°F | 151.5 |
| Days a year at or below 20°F | 69.8 |
| Days a year with a high at or below 32°F | 63.8 |
| Days a year at or above 95°F | 0 |
| Days a year at or above 100°F | 0 |
| Days a year with an inch of rain or more | 5.8 |
| Average annual precipitation | 36.3 in |
| Wettest year | 2019 (46.9 in) |
| Driest year | 2023 (30.9 in) |
| Coldest day in the record | January 31, 2019 |
| Hottest day in the record | September 3, 2023 |
Source: NASA POWER daily reanalysis (MERRA-2) for the city center, 2015–2025.
Freezing days peak in January, averaging 30.7 a year. Source: NASA POWER reanalysis, 2015–2025.
The wettest year was 2019 with 46.9 inches; the driest was 2023 with 30.9. Source: NASA POWER reanalysis, 2015–2025.
These counts come from a gridded reanalysis, which smooths out single-day extremes and can differ by a few degrees from an airport thermometer. Use them to compare seasons and years, not as official station records.
Appleton boil water notices and EPA compliance record
Since 2015, EPA's record for Appleton Waterworks shows no health-based violations. It also lists 2 monitoring or reporting entries that are about paperwork rather than water quality, such as a missed sample or a late report.
Most recent entries, all monitoring or reporting:
- July 2023: A late or missing annual water quality report It is marked resolved.
- July 2023: A late or missing annual water quality report It is marked resolved.
| Type of violation | Health-based | Monitoring and other |
|---|---|---|
| Public notice and annual reports | 0 | 2 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
When Appleton loses pressure after a break or a failed test, Appleton Water Utility asks affected customers to boil water for drinking and cooking. The notice ends only after samples come back clean, which usually takes one to two days after service returns, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) supervises the process.
Lead service lines and old plumbing in Appleton
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result filed for Appleton Waterworks is 1.3 ppb (2025). The federal action level is 15 ppb, so that result is comfortably below it.
Highest result on file: 11 ppb. Source: EPA SDWIS.
48% of occupied homes in Appleton were built before 1970, and lead service lines and solder stayed legal until the federal ban in 1986. After any outage that disturbs the pipes, run the cold tap 30 seconds to 2 minutes before drinking, and ask Appleton Water Utility about its lead service line inventory.
How long a water outage lasts in Appleton
A crew that arrives at an ordinary main break in Appleton usually needs 4 to 8 hours to isolate the pipe, dig, repair, flush and restore pressure. Large transmission mains, deep pipes and breaks under busy streets can take a day or more.
| Situation | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Planned shutoff | Time window posted ahead; water often returns early |
| Ordinary main break | About 4 to 8 hours after the crew is on site |
| Large or deep main | 1 to 3 days |
| Low pressure after a pump or power failure | Until power returns and tanks recover, often within a day |
| Boil water notice after service returns | Until two clean rounds of samples, usually 1 to 2 days |
| Frozen service line or meter | Depends on thaw; a plumber is usually needed |
Source: Utility practice, EPA and state boil water guidance.
Ask Appleton Water Utility for a restoration estimate when you report the outage; for large breaks it is normally posted and updated as the repair progresses.
Emergency water storage for Appleton households
The average household in Appleton has about 2.4 people, so FEMA's minimum of one gallon per person per day comes to roughly 7 gallons for three days and 34 gallons for two weeks.
- Your water heater tank holds 30 to 50 gallons of clean water. Turn off the power or gas to it first, then drain from the valve at the bottom.
- Fill the bathtub and a few large pots as soon as you hear a break is likely; that water is for flushing and washing, not drinking.
How Appleton compares with nearby water systems
| City | System | People served | Source | Health violations since 2015 | Highest lead (ppb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | Appleton Waterworks | 74,511 | Surface | 0 | 11 |
| Waukesha, WI | Waukesha Water Utility | 70,718 | Bought (surface) | 207 | 2.3 |
| Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee Waterworks | 626,000 | Surface | 0 | 7.2 |
| Madison, WI | Madison Water Utility | 272,000 | Ground | 1 | 3.2 |
| Racine, WI | Racine Waterworks | 105,100 | Surface | 1 | 7.3 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Water outage pages for nearby cities
Appleton boil water notices and main breaks
Appleton Water Utility posts Appleton boil water notices, main breaks and planned shutoffs on its own site and alerts. What a notice requires: water outage guide.
Appleton quick answers about water service
Who do I call about no water in Appleton?
Call the 24-hour line of Appleton Water Utility. Call 911 only if flooding or a main break puts people or property in immediate danger.
Is Appleton water from a river, lake or well?
EPA records for Appleton Waterworks say Appleton relies on surface water.
Is Appleton tap water safe to drink?
EPA lists no health-based violations for Appleton Waterworks since 2015, and its latest 90th-percentile lead result is 1.3 ppb against the 15 ppb action level. Follow any boil water notice until the utility says it is over.
What time of year are Appleton water main breaks most common?
Breaks in Appleton pile up in the cold, with about 152 freezing days a year and the worst stretch from December to February. The days right after a deep freeze, when the soil thaws and shifts, are usually the busiest.
What causes low water pressure in Appleton?
A sudden drop usually means a break or valve problem nearby, while a slow decline in the evening points to demand. If the whole street is affected, tell Appleton Water Utility; if not, look at your own regulator and shutoff.
How long do boil water advisories last in Appleton?
Plan on one to two days after pressure is back. Appleton Water Utility samples the water, waits for clean lab results and then lifts the notice, with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) overseeing the steps.
How much drinking water should I keep at home in Appleton?
One gallon per person per day is the FEMA minimum. For Appleton that means about 7 gallons to cover three days for an average household of 2.4, and 34 gallons for two weeks.
Should I worry about lead in Appleton water?
Lead pipe was legal until 1986, and 48% of occupied homes in Appleton predate 1970, so it is possible in older neighborhoods. Appleton Water Utility can tell you what your service line is made of; a lead-certified filter is a sensible precaution if you are unsure.
Is there a water outage map for Appleton?
We do not run a pipe map. The report count at the top of this page shows what other people in Appleton have reported in the last 24 hours. For the official picture, check Appleton Water Utility for its outage page, alerts and social accounts.
More outage pages for Appleton and nearby
Other outage types in Appleton
Water Service Outages in cities near Appleton
- Oshkosh, WI 18 mi · Oshkosh Water Utility
- Green Bay, WI 26 mi · Green Bay Water Utility
- Waukesha, WI 87 mi · Waukesha Water Utility
- Milwaukee, WI 88 mi · Milwaukee Water Works
- Madison, WI 96 mi · Madison Water Utility
- Racine, WI 111 mi · Racine Water Utility
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
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