Skip to main content
City of Madison
  • Accounts
    • All Accounts
    • My Account
    • ePayments
    • Water Customer Care
    • Employment
    • Licenses & Permits
  • Services
  • Jobs
  • Agencies
    • All Agencies
    • Assessor's Office
    • Attorney's Office
    • Building Inspection
    • Civil Rights
    • Clerk's Office
    • Common Council
    • Community Development
    • Development Services Center
    • Economic Development
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Engineering
    • Finance
    • Fire
    • Fleet Service
    • Golf
    • Goodman Pool
    • Housing Authority
    • Human Resources
    • Information Technology
    • Madison City Channel
    • Madison Public Library
    • Madison Senior Center
    • Mayor's Office
    • Metro Transit
    • Monona Terrace
    • Municipal Court
    • Office of Business Resources
    • Office of Real Estate Services
    • Olbrich Botanical Gardens
    • Parking Utility
    • Parks
    • Planning
    • Planning, Community & Economic Development
    • Police
    • Public Health Madison & Dane County
    • Public Works
    • Streets & Recycling
    • Traffic Engineering
    • Transportation
    • Treasurer's Office
    • Warner Park Community Recreation Center
    • Water Utility
  • Data
  • Contact
    • Mayor
    • City Council
    • City Staff & Agencies

Search form

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • City Services
  • Public Health
  • Get Alerts
  • Español
  • Hmoob
Madison Water Utility

Water Utility

Joseph Grande, Interim General Manager

  • Founded in 1882

  • Home
  • Billing & Rates
  • Plumbers & Contractors
  • Sustainability
  • Water Quality
  • Projects
  • Media
  • Education & Outreach
  • En Español
  • About
  1. City of Madison
  2. Water Utility
  3. Water Quality
  4. Water Quality Testing
  5. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS) & Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCS)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS) & Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCS)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS)

Volatile organic compounds are chemical solvents or cleaners (and their byproducts) that are derived from petroleum products. They are man-made contaminants that arise from industrial processes. These contaminants can leach into ground water from chemical spills or wastewater discharges from industrial activities. Madison Water Utility annually tests all operating wells for 50 different volatile organic compounds including carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, and trichloroethylene. Additional information on the contaminants that are tested, test results, likely sources of contaminants, and the potential health impacts can be found in the Annual Drinking Water Quality Report and websites of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)).

  • 2019 Testing Results

Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCS)

Synthetic organic compounds are another class of man-made contaminants that may be present in ground water. Collectively, this group includes herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals that come from agriculture, urban storm water runoff, or industrial activities. No contaminants were detected at any well in either the 2005 or 2011 monitoring periods; however, a trace amount (<0.03 ug/L) of one pesticide was found at two wells in 2017. Additional information can be found on the EPA and WDNR websites.

  • 2017 testing results

Water Quality

  • Water Quality at My Address
  • Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
  • Water Main Flushing Program
  • Water Quality Testing
  • Private Wells
    • FAQs – Attached Properties, Municipal Water Requirements
    • FAQs – Attached Properties, Private Well Requirements
  • Cross-Connection Control Program
  • Wellhead Protection Program
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Stagnant Water Dangers Remain
  • Discolored Water
  • Lead Service Replacement Program
    • Lead in water: What you should know
    • Information for Utilities on Lead Service Replacement
  • Perfluorinated Compounds / PFAS
  • Road salt and Madison's drinking water
  • Water Quality Technical Advisory Committee
  • Well 8
    • Groundwater Study Update

Water Quality

  • Phone: (608) 266-4654
  • Email: water@madisonwater.org
  • eNews: Sign up for Water Utility News & Alerts

Water Utility

Water Utility Administrative Office
119 East Olin Avenue
Madison, WI 53713
  • Report Main Break/Emergency: (608) 266-4661
  • Report Emergency After Hours: (608) 266-4665
  • Office: (608) 266-4651
  • Fax: (608) 266-4426
  • Office Hours: 7:30am - 4:00pm, M-F
  • Drinking Water Concerns/Questions
  • Email Us
  • WI Relay Service

Customer Care

  • Pay your bill
  • Start or stop service
  • View water use
  • Set up usage alert
  • Apply for toilet rebate

Social Media

  • Find us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Watch us on YouTube
  • Read "Inside MWU"

Stay Informed

  • Blackhawk Water Tower Email List
  • Inside MWU Email List
  • Water Main Flushing
  • Water Utility News & Alerts
  • Well 31

All Social Media »

City of Madison, Wisconsin logo, copyright City of Madison

Our Madison – Inclusive, Innovative, & Thriving

Copyright © 1995 - 2021 City of Madison, WI
  • Contact Webmaster
  • Accessibility
  • Web Policies
2019 Winner of the Digital Cities Survey by the Center for Digital Government