Every three years the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) completes an inspection of each municipal drinking water system. This inspection is referred to as the Sanitary Survey and is used to ensure that drinking water systems are providing safe and reliable drinking water. The inspection involves a WDNR representative or team of representatives that perform an onsite inspection of all water system facilities, including storage reservoirs, wells, treatment facilities, booster stations and other applicable facilities. The inspection also involves review of all pertinent records related to operation and maintenance, monitoring, and financial reports to ensure regulatory compliance requirements are met. Many of these records are provided to the WDNR ahead of the inspection due to the complexity of the documents.
Following the inspection, the WDNR prepares a report that details the findings of the inspection including any deficiencies or recommendations from the inspector. Any deficiencies identified during the inspection must be corrected by the water system. Several terms are used in the report to detail findings from the inspection. This includes:
“Significant Deficiencies” indicate noncompliance with one or more Wisconsin Administrative Codes and/or represent an immediate health risk to consumers.
“Deficiencies” are problems in the drinking water system that have the potential to cause serious health risks or represent long-term health risks to consumers. These deficiencies may indicate noncompliance with one or more Wisconsin Administrative Codes.
“Recommendations” are intended to address problems in the drinking water system that hinder a public water system from consistently providing safe drinking water to consumers.
“Non-conforming Features” are drinking water system features that met code requirements at the time of a water system’s construction but do not meet current code. These are not deficiencies, but they are identified because they will need to be corrected when the system completes upgrades in the future.
Kaukauna Utilities completed a Sanitary Survey with the WDNR in June 2025. We are proud to announce that there were no deficiencies identified during the Sanitary Survey. Many of the non-conforming features that were identified during the survey will be modified during the Water Treatment System Improvement Project that is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. Results from previous sanitary surveys and other drinking water system information can be found on the WDNR’s Drinking Water System Portal.
If you have any questions or would like more information about Kaukauna Utilities recent Sanitary Survey, please reach out to Andy Vanden Heuvel at 920-462-0233 or Zach Moureau at 920-462-0238.
