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LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY vs ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM

Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants

Quick Answer

ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM has a lower risk classification (safe). LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY has 1 open health-based violation and 378 PFAS records. ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM has 0 open health-based violations and 1508 PFAS records.

LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY

New Mexico · NM3529207

Overall Risk Level

Low Concern

No Concern
Low
Moderate
High
Critical

Minor detections below regulatory limits. Routine monitoring adequate.

1

Open violations

378

PFAS records

ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM

New Mexico · NM3510701

Overall Risk Level

No Concerns Detected

No Concern
Low
Moderate
High
Critical

Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.

0

Open violations

1508

PFAS records

Head-to-Head Comparison

MetricLAKE SECTION WATER COMPANYALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM
StateNew MexicoNew Mexico
Risk LevelLow ConcernNo Concerns Detected
Population Served14,619560,326
Open Health Violations10
Total Violations371
PFAS Records3781508
OwnershipPrivateLocal
Service TypeGroundwaterSurface water
City ServedChaparralAlbuquerque

Contaminants in Violation Records

LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY

  • Nitrate
  • Lead
  • Turbidity

ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM

  • Nitrate

Key Differences

LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY has a low risk rating vs. safe for ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM.

LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY has 1 open health-based violation vs. 0 for ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM.

LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY has 378 PFAS records vs. 1508 for ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM.

What Should I Do?

If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:

  • Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
  • Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
  • Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is safer — LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY or ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM?

ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM has a lower risk classification (safe). ALBUQUERQUE WATER SYSTEM has 0 open health-based violations compared to 1 for the other system.

What does "open health-based violation" mean?

An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.

How current is this data?

Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.

What does PWSID mean?

PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.

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