Clear Lake, WI vs Madison, WI

When comparing tap water quality between Clear Lake, WI and Madison, WI, Clear Lake currently holds a noticeable 7-point lead in average WaterQ score, with a score of 90 out of 100 versus 83 for Madison. Clear Lake, WI carries an A grade while Madison, WI carries a B. A WaterQ score reflects an aggregate of EPA-reported violations, monitoring data, and compliance history across all public water systems serving each city, so a higher score generally indicates fewer recent violations and a stronger compliance record, though it does not guarantee that every tap in the city tests identically.

Madison, WI is the larger of the two, with 283,838 more residents than Clear Lake. Madison is served by 7 public water systems, compared with 1 in Clear Lake — a difference of 6 systems. A larger number of systems often reflects a more fragmented distribution network spanning multiple utilities, suburbs, or rural service areas, while a single large utility serving a big population can benefit from economies of scale in treatment and monitoring, but may also face more complex, aging infrastructure to maintain.

For residents of either Clear Lake or Madison, the most useful next step is to look up the specific water system that serves your address, since city-wide averages combine results from every system in the area. Visit the Clear Lake or Madison city pages below for a breakdown of local systems, recent violations, and contaminant-specific data, or browse WaterQ's contaminants directory to learn what each measured substance means for health.