Physical, compliance, and capital-execution pressure reflected in the blended headline composite.
States / Vermont
Vermont
Explore Vermont drinking-water system scores, stress signals, infrastructure risk, and statewide market context across 31 scored service markets serving approximately 286,548 people. This state profile highlights what is happening and why it matters using water-system, fiscal, capital, and signal context.
Vermont has an average MISI infrastructure stress score of 20.1/100 in the Stable band as of 2026-05-19. Public records summarize recent drinking-water violations, PFAS monitoring records, lead and copper context, and source-water mix across 31 covered systems. Updated May 2026.
National context
States sized by scored-market count. Color reflects average stress band.
31Markets scored
20.1Headline composite
~287KPop. served
121Active signals
Band distribution (MISI)
State headline composite
Component of current headline composite
Affordability, demand-base, and parent-government fiscal pressure reflected in the blended headline composite.
Staleness, disclosure freshness, and reporting-visibility effects reflected in the blended headline composite.
Essex Jct Water Dept40.2fragileShelburne Water Dept34.7watchEssex Town Water System34.3watchWilliston Water Dept32.9watchSouth Burlington City Water System31.0watchWinooski Water Dept31.0watchWinhall Stratton F D 127.3watchMilton Water Dept25.1watchManchester Water Dept24.8watchColchester Fire District 324.7watchColchester Fire District 224.5watchNorthfield Water Dept23.3watchWaterbury Village Water21.1watchBromley Water Company20.9watchMontpelier Water System19.3stableBennington Water Dept17.7stableRutland City Water Dept17.7stableLyndonville Water System17.6stableSt Albans Water Dept17.6stableSt Johnsbury Water System17.5stableSpringfield Water Dept16.6stableBellows Falls Water Dept15.5stableTri Town Water District15.2stableBurlington Dept Public Works Water Div15.2stableHartford Water Dept15.1stableVergennes Panton Water District11.9stableNewport City Water System10.0stableBrandon Fire District 17.6stableMiddlebury Water Dept5.9stableBarre City Water System3.6stableBrattleboro Water Dept3.6stableEssex Jct Water Dept40.2fragileShelburne Water Dept34.7watchEssex Town Water System34.3watchWilliston Water Dept32.9watchSouth Burlington City Water System31.0watchWinooski Water Dept31.0watchWinhall Stratton F D 127.3watchMilton Water Dept25.1watchManchester Water Dept24.8watchColchester Fire District 324.7watchColchester Fire District 224.5watchNorthfield Water Dept23.3watchWaterbury Village Water21.1watchBromley Water Company20.9watchMontpelier Water System19.3stableBennington Water Dept17.7stableRutland City Water Dept17.7stableLyndonville Water System17.6stableSt Albans Water Dept17.6stableSt Johnsbury Water System17.5stableSpringfield Water Dept16.6stableBellows Falls Water Dept15.5stableTri Town Water District15.2stableBurlington Dept Public Works Water Div15.2stableHartford Water Dept15.1stableVergennes Panton Water District11.9stableNewport City Water System10.0stableBrandon Fire District 17.6stableMiddlebury Water Dept5.9stableBarre City Water System3.6stableBrattleboro Water Dept3.6stable
State interpretation guide
How to read Vermont headline composite
Plain-language summary
Vermont currently shows an average MISI headline composite of 20.1 versus a national average of 25.0. In v0.1.2, the headline composite remains a blended structural stress measure rather than a pure physical-condition index. A frozen national reference and a 50 percent single-factor cap reduce the dominance of near-universal and very rare factors, while the component bars continue to separate infrastructure, socioeconomic, and observability readings.
Why this page stands out
- 31 scored systems are included in this state view, with explicit confidence and source-backed context.
- State posture is benchmarked against national averages, not evaluated in isolation.
- Top system links below connect state-level findings directly to profile-level diagnostics.
What to do next
- Review the executive context to understand the state-level pressure pattern.
- Open top system profiles to inspect what is actually driving stress at market level.
- Use Track to monitor changes in high-stress systems over time.
Public record layer
Statewide Water Quality Context
Stored public-record context for recent drinking-water violations, contaminant monitoring, and source-water mix across covered systems. This is not a tap-water safety determination and does not change the MISI score.
Systems with recent violations
18 of 31Systems with recent public violation rows.Source-water mix31 systems
- Surface water21
- Groundwater10
- Purchased water0
- Mixed source0
- Not stored0
Latest identity snapshot: Dec 31, 2025
Coverage
- Violation, enforcement, and compliance-burden counts use the recent 3 years window for dated stored records.
- Drinking-water identity snapshots are stored for 31 of 31 included scored systems.
- PFAS monitoring summary records are stored for 31 of 31 included systems; missing records are not treated as non-detections.
- Lead and copper summary records are stored for 31 of 31 included systems; missing records are not treated as absence of lead/copper context.
Water quality questionsDefinitions and public-record context
- How many covered systems in Vermont have recent recorded drinking-water violations?
- Stored public records show 18 covered systems with recent drinking-water violations, with 58 recorded violations across 31 covered systems in the recent 3 years window.
- How does Munimetric summarize PFAS public-record context in Vermont?
- Stored contaminant-monitoring summaries are present for 31 covered systems; 2 systems have PFAS detection context in this state summary.
- How does Munimetric summarize lead & copper context in Vermont?
- Stored lead & copper summaries are present for 31 covered systems; 26 systems have violation or action-level context in this state summary.
- What source-water types are represented across covered Vermont systems?
- Stored identity records group covered Vermont systems by source-water type: Surface water: 21, Groundwater: 10.
- Where can I find official drinking-water records for Vermont?
- The Official records drawer lists Public drinking-water profile, Contaminant monitoring records links where currently available for Vermont.
- Is this a real-time statewide tap-water condition rating?
- No. This is not a real-time tap-water condition determination. Munimetric summarizes stored public-record context for research and navigation, and this layer does not change MISI.
Official records
- Public drinking-water profileEPA ECHO: Federal drinking-water dashboard and public-record search entry point.
- Contaminant monitoring recordsEPA UCMR: Federal contaminant-monitoring program reference and public data entry point.
Methodology/source notes
- Methodology/source notesDisplayed from stored public drinking-water records and official program references. This layer does not change MISI.
- Enforcement historyEPA ECHO / SDWIS: Violation and enforcement counts are aggregated from stored public compliance records across covered systems.
- Contaminant monitoring recordsEPA UCMR: PFAS context uses stored contaminant-monitoring summaries where available; missing records are not treated as non-detections.
- State drinking-water programOfficial link not currently stored for this state program mapping.
Top recent compliance-burden systemsRecent 3 years
| System | Population | Source water | Recent violations | Recent enforcement | Public-record flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montpelier Water SystemVT0005272 | 8,912 | Surface water | 6 | 10 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, recent monitoring/reporting failures, lead/copper context |
| Manchester Water DeptVT0005022 | 4,140 | Groundwater | 4 | 10 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, recent monitoring/reporting failures |
| Winhall Stratton F D 1VT0005305 | 6,200 | Groundwater | 4 | 10 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, lead/copper context |
| South Burlington City Water SystemVT0005091 | 19,500 | Surface water | 4 | 2 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, recent monitoring/reporting failures, lead/copper context |
| Essex Town Water SystemVT0005065 | 9,734 | Surface water | 4 | 2 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, recent monitoring/reporting failures, lead/copper context |
| Essex Jct Water DeptVT0005066 | 9,500 | Surface water | 4 | 2 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, recent monitoring/reporting failures, lead/copper context |
| Winooski Water DeptVT0005102 | 8,500 | Surface water | 4 | 2 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, recent monitoring/reporting failures, lead/copper context |
| Milton Water DeptVT0005079 | 8,000 | Surface water | 4 | 2 | recent violations recorded, recent enforcement history, recent monitoring/reporting failures, lead/copper context |
This is not a real-time tap-water condition determination. For current advisories or health guidance, consult the utility or state drinking-water program.
Executive context
What This Page Shows
31 of the community drinking-water systems in Vermont are currently scored. Analytics below are calculated from this covered subset only. Covered systems serve approximately 287K people.
What the Data Suggests
Vermont has 31 scored service markets in the Munimetric coverage set, covering roughly 286,548 residents in total. At the latest reading, the state-level average lands at 20.1 out of 100, indicating limited signs of structural stress in aggregate. A relatively small share — roughly 3% — currently sit in elevated-stress bands.
Across state markets, Operational Stress stands out as the dominant contributor to headline stress (10.0 points average), with Capex Pressure a distant second at 6.4. That pattern suggests a particular kind of pressure — concentrated rather than broadly distributed.
121 active signals are recorded across state markets. The most prevalent is Lead & Copper Rule Risk, affecting 26 markets.
State-level average stress has been relatively steady between recent observation periods, suggesting the current picture reflects persistent conditions rather than a sudden shift.
This summary is based on structured, source-backed public data and is intended for research and monitoring only. It is not investment advice, a credit opinion, or municipal advisory guidance.
Recent Movement
Latest average MISI is 20.1 as of May 19, 2026. Movement since May 17, 2026 is flat.
Compact summary from 38 stored state observations.
State Family Contribution Summary
Operational Stress10.0 / 20.0
Capex Pressure6.4 / 20.0
Governance Risk2.4 / 20.0
Revenue Fragility1.3 / 20.0
Rate Constraint0.0 / 20.0
Signals
Signal Frequency
| Signal | Severity | Markets affected | % of scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead & Copper Rule Risk | high | 26 | 84% |
| Compliance Escalation | high | 24 | 77% |
| Climate Hazard Exposure | medium | 24 | 77% |
| Parent-Government Fiscal Stress | high | 13 | 42% |
| Monitoring / Reporting Failures | medium | 12 | 39% |
| Current Drought Severity | medium | 10 | 32% |
| High-AGI Out-Migration | high | 10 | 32% |
| PFAS Contamination Risk | low | 2 | 6% |
Markets
Top Markets
| # | Market | Score | Band | Population | Signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essex Jct Water Dept | 40.2 | Fragile | 10K | 6 |
| 2 | Shelburne Water Dept | 34.7 | Watch | 6K | 6 |
| 3 | Essex Town Water System | 34.3 | Watch | 10K | 6 |
| 4 | Williston Water Dept | 32.9 | Watch | 7K | 6 |
| 5 | South Burlington City Water System | 31.0 | Watch | 20K | 5 |
| 6 | Winooski Water Dept | 31.0 | Watch | 9K | 5 |
| 7 | Winhall Stratton F D 1 | 27.3 | Watch | 6K | 5 |
| 8 | Milton Water Dept | 25.1 | Watch | 8K | 5 |
| 9 | Manchester Water Dept | 24.8 | Watch | 4K | 4 |
| 10 | Colchester Fire District 3 | 24.7 | Watch | 8K | 4 |
| 11 | Colchester Fire District 2 | 24.5 | Watch | 8K | 5 |
| 12 | Northfield Water Dept | 23.3 | Watch | 5K | 4 |
| 13 | Waterbury Village Water | 21.1 | Watch | 6K | 5 |
| 14 | Bromley Water Company | 20.9 | Watch | 4K | 4 |
| 15 | Montpelier Water System | 19.3 | Stable | 9K | 4 |
| 16 | Bennington Water Dept | 17.7 | Stable | 13K | 4 |
| 17 | Rutland City Water Dept | 17.7 | Stable | 19K | 4 |
| 18 | Lyndonville Water System | 17.6 | Stable | 4K | 3 |
| 19 | St Albans Water Dept | 17.6 | Stable | 10K | 3 |
| 20 | St Johnsbury Water System | 17.5 | Stable | 5K | 3 |
Comparison
State Comparison
National average: 25.0
| Rank | State | Avg Score | Band | Markets | Delta vs State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Kentucky | 20.8 | Stable | 233 | +0.6 |
| 44 | Wyoming | 20.6 | Stable | 25 | +0.5 |
| 45 | Vermont | 20.1 | Stable | 31 | +0.0 |
| 46 | Georgia | 19.9 | Stable | 236 | -0.2 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 19.9 | Watch | 29 | -0.2 |
Analytical posture
State Stress Analytics
Score Distribution
Distribution of scored market scores with the state average overlay.
31 markets plotted.
Stress vs Population
Each point is a scored market; tooltip reveals market-level context.
31 markets plotted.
Population View
People served by community water systems in Vermont, colored by stress band.
~287K people served by 31 systems in Vermont
Stable
Watch
Fragile
High Stress
Critical
31 scored systems · colored by stress band
Peer Constellation
Select a market to see its nearest peers by score similarity.
24 nearest peers by score distance.
Score Trend
Latest
20.1
Trend
+16.1
Observations
38
Extended layers
Advanced State Context
Priority views, detailed registers, and methodology supporting the analytical core above.
Markets & signals
Priority Views
| # | Service Market | Score | Band | Pop. | Signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essex Jct Water Dept | 40.2 | Fragile | 10K | 6 |
| 2 | Shelburne Water Dept | 34.7 | Watch | 6K | 6 |
| 3 | Essex Town Water System | 34.3 | Watch | 10K | 6 |
| 4 | Williston Water Dept | 32.9 | Watch | 7K | 6 |
| 5 | South Burlington City Water System | 31.0 | Watch | 20K | 5 |
| 6 | Winooski Water Dept | 31.0 | Watch | 9K | 5 |
| 7 | Winhall Stratton F D 1 | 27.3 | Watch | 6K | 5 |
| 8 | Milton Water Dept | 25.1 | Watch | 8K | 5 |
| 9 | Manchester Water Dept | 24.8 | Watch | 4K | 4 |
| 10 | Colchester Fire District 3 | 24.7 | Watch | 8K | 4 |
| 11 | Colchester Fire District 2 | 24.5 | Watch | 8K | 5 |
| 12 | Northfield Water Dept | 23.3 | Watch | 5K | 4 |
| 13 | Waterbury Village Water | 21.1 | Watch | 6K | 5 |
| 14 | Bromley Water Company | 20.9 | Watch | 4K | 4 |
| 15 | Montpelier Water System | 19.3 | Stable | 9K | 4 |
| 16 | Bennington Water Dept | 17.7 | Stable | 13K | 4 |
| 17 | Rutland City Water Dept | 17.7 | Stable | 19K | 4 |
| 18 | Lyndonville Water System | 17.6 | Stable | 4K | 3 |
| 19 | St Albans Water Dept | 17.6 | Stable | 10K | 3 |
| 20 | St Johnsbury Water System | 17.5 | Stable | 5K | 3 |
Detailed records
Registers
| # | Market | Score | Band | Population | Signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essex Jct Water Dept | 40.2 | Fragile | 10K | 6 |
| 2 | Shelburne Water Dept | 34.7 | Watch | 6K | 6 |
| 3 | Essex Town Water System | 34.3 | Watch | 10K | 6 |
| 4 | Williston Water Dept | 32.9 | Watch | 7K | 6 |
| 5 | South Burlington City Water System | 31.0 | Watch | 20K | 5 |
| 6 | Winooski Water Dept | 31.0 | Watch | 9K | 5 |
| 7 | Winhall Stratton F D 1 | 27.3 | Watch | 6K | 5 |
| 8 | Milton Water Dept | 25.1 | Watch | 8K | 5 |
| 9 | Manchester Water Dept | 24.8 | Watch | 4K | 4 |
| 10 | Colchester Fire District 3 | 24.7 | Watch | 8K | 4 |
| 11 | Colchester Fire District 2 | 24.5 | Watch | 8K | 5 |
| 12 | Northfield Water Dept | 23.3 | Watch | 5K | 4 |
| 13 | Waterbury Village Water | 21.1 | Watch | 6K | 5 |
| 14 | Bromley Water Company | 20.9 | Watch | 4K | 4 |
| 15 | Montpelier Water System | 19.3 | Stable | 9K | 4 |
| 16 | Bennington Water Dept | 17.7 | Stable | 13K | 4 |
| 17 | Rutland City Water Dept | 17.7 | Stable | 19K | 4 |
| 18 | Lyndonville Water System | 17.6 | Stable | 4K | 3 |
| 19 | St Albans Water Dept | 17.6 | Stable | 10K | 3 |
| 20 | St Johnsbury Water System | 17.5 | Stable | 5K | 3 |
State intelligence is assembled from EPA SDWA compliance records, American Community Survey demographic and economic indicators, FEMA NRI hazard exposure profiles, and state-reported financial disclosures. Each service market receives a MISI score (0–100) based on five families: Operational Stress, Capex Pressure, Revenue Fragility, Rate Constraint, and Governance Risk. Scores are deterministic and threshold-based. In v0.1.2, the headline composite remains a blended structural stress measure rather than a pure physical-condition index. A frozen national reference and a 50 percent single-factor cap reduce the dominance of near-universal and very rare factors, while the component bars continue to separate infrastructure, socioeconomic, and observability readings. Peer context is provided by percentile ranking within population-based cohorts.
Munimetric tracks infrastructure stress across 31 community drinking-water systems in Vermont, covering compliance conditions, capital needs, revenue and rate pressure, and governance risk. Use this page to research which systems face the highest structural stress and how Vermont compares nationally.
- Which water systems in Vermont face the most infrastructure stress?
- The highest-stress systems in Vermont are ranked by MISI score above. Stress reflects operational burden, capital gaps, revenue fragility, rate affordability constraints, and governance risk—not a single compliance event. In v0.1.2, the headline composite remains a blended structural stress measure rather than a pure physical-condition index. A frozen national reference and a 50 percent single-factor cap reduce the dominance of near-universal and very rare factors, while the component bars continue to separate infrastructure, socioeconomic, and observability readings.
- How does Vermont compare to other states for drinking water infrastructure risk?
- Vermont is compared against all 50 states and territories using average MISI score, market count, and band distribution. The state comparison table above shows where Vermont ranks nationally and how its average score compares.
- Are there lead pipe or corrosion-related concerns in Vermont water systems?
- Where lead and copper rule compliance data is available from EPA SDWA records, Munimetric factors it into the Operational Stress family. Specific lead service line inventories vary by system. Individual system profiles contain the most detailed compliance context available.
- What compliance signals are active in Vermont?
- Munimetric tracks signals such as compliance escalation, monitoring and reporting failures, data staleness, and financial stress indicators across Vermont systems. The signal frequency table above summarizes which signals are most prevalent statewide.
- Does Munimetric track boil water advisories in Vermont?
- Munimetric does not track real-time boil water advisories. For current advisories, contact your local water utility or state drinking water program. Munimetric monitors structural conditions—compliance posture, infrastructure stress, and governance risk—that provide broader context around system reliability.
- Essex Jct Water Dept water system profile
- Shelburne Water Dept drinking water infrastructure profile
- Essex Town Water System MISI score & system data
- Williston Water Dept water system profile
- South Burlington City Water System drinking water infrastructure profile
- Winooski Water Dept MISI score & system data
- Winhall Stratton F D 1 water system profile
- Milton Water Dept drinking water infrastructure profile
- Manchester Water Dept MISI score & system data
- Colchester Fire District 3 water system profile
- Colchester Fire District 2 drinking water infrastructure profile
- Northfield Water Dept MISI score & system data
- Waterbury Village Water water system profile
- Bromley Water Company drinking water infrastructure profile
- Montpelier Water System MISI score & system data
Keep monitoring this state
Workflow access covers exports, Track, Munex, alerts, and repeat monitoring tools.
Water Infrastructure in Vermont
Munimetric tracks infrastructure stress across 31 community drinking-water systems in Vermont. Each system receives a Munimetric Infrastructure Stress Index (MISI) score from 0 to 100, calculated across five risk families: Operational Stress, Capex Pressure, Revenue Fragility, Rate Constraint, and Governance Risk. Higher scores indicate more structural stress. Scores are source-backed and deterministic, drawing from EPA SDWA compliance records, American Community Survey demographic and economic data, FEMA National Risk Index hazard profiles, and state financial disclosures.
State-level monitoring shows which systems face the highest structural stress, how Vermont compares against other states nationally, and which monitoring signals are most active across the state. Each individual system profile includes compliance history, score family drivers, peer rankings within population-based cohorts where safeguards pass, and public source context. Full provenance cards and source workbench views remain workflow-gated. Munimetric covers community water systems across all 50 states and territories. This is structural risk research—not a water quality rating, advisory feed, or credit rating. Updated May 2026.
The statewide public-record layer adds drinking-water violation categories, PFAS monitoring summaries where stored, lead and copper context, source-water mix, and official record links across covered systems. These records help explain water-system context alongside infrastructure stress without turning Munimetric into a tap-water safety determination.
- What is the Munimetric score for Vermont?
- Munimetric assigns a state-level average MISI score based on the individual scores of all covered community water systems in Vermont. The state average, band distribution, and market-level rankings are shown on this page. Higher MISI values indicate greater structural stress.
- Which water systems in Vermont face the most infrastructure stress?
- The state page ranks the highest-stress systems in Vermont by MISI score. Stress reflects operational burden, capital gaps, revenue fragility, rate affordability constraints, and governance risk, not a single compliance event. The headline remains a blended structural stress composite rather than a pure physical-condition index. Workflow actions remain reserved for account access.
- How does Vermont compare to other states for drinking water infrastructure risk?
- Vermont is compared against all 50 states and territories using average MISI score, market count, and band distribution. Munimetric tracks nationwide coverage across 9,000+ scored service markets.
- Are there lead pipe or corrosion-related concerns in Vermont water systems?
- Where lead and copper rule compliance data is available from EPA SDWA records, Munimetric factors it into the Operational Stress family score. Specific lead service line inventories vary by system. Individual system profiles contain the most detailed compliance context available.
- Does Munimetric include PFAS monitoring context for Vermont water systems?
- Munimetric summarizes stored PFAS monitoring context where public contaminant-monitoring records are available. Missing PFAS summaries remain missing records, not non-detections, and this public-record layer does not change the MISI score by itself.
- What compliance signals are active in Vermont?
- Munimetric tracks signals such as compliance escalation, monitoring and reporting failures, population decline, income erosion, data staleness, and parent-government fiscal stress across Vermont water systems.
- Does Munimetric track boil water advisories in Vermont?
- Munimetric does not track real-time boil water advisories. For current advisories, contact your local water utility or state drinking water program. Munimetric monitors structural conditions that provide context around system reliability over time.
- U.S. water infrastructure stress monitoring homepage
- How Munimetric scores drinking water systems
- Browse all water system profiles in the Screener
- Compare water infrastructure risk across all U.S. states
- Browse Vermont water systems by MISI stress band
- Browse Vermont water systems by population served
- Browse Vermont water systems by source-water type
- Water infrastructure research & guides
- Munimetric analytical rankings
- Compare states by average MISI
- Compare states by High Stress share
- National High-Stress water-system ranking