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Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS AK2121076

Point Higgins Elementary School

Ketchikan, Alaska 99901 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 300 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

300
People served
119
EPA violations
21
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 119 drinking-water violations at Point Higgins Elementary School, 18% of them health-based - below the Alaska per-system average.

119
Total EPA violations on record
18%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
300
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Point Higgins Elementary School

Point Higgins Elementary School is a local-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 300 residents in Ketchikan, Alaska (Ketchikan Gateway Borough County) through 2 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 119 total violations for this system , of which 21 (18%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 40 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 12 violations (TT, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Alaska, EPA tracks 1,326 public water systems serving 862,218 people, with 267,144 cumulative violations and 13,963 health-based violations on record. About 98% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 201.5 violations. Statewide, 10 of 30 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (33.3%).

Point Higgins Elementary School's 119 violations sit below the Alaska average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
300
Total Violations
119
Health-Based Violations
21
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
2
County
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
9
Monitoring Violations
40
Treatment Tech Violations
12

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 12 2004
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 9 2023
Chlorine MR 6 2016
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 2007
Nitrate MR 3 2015
TTHM MR 2 2006
Barium MR 2 1992
Chromium MR 2 1992
Cadmium MR 2 1992
Mercury MR 2 1992
Selenium MR 2 1992
Fluoride MR 2 1992
Coliform (TCR) MR 2 2016
Arsenic MR 2 1992
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 1 2005
2,4-D MR 1 1988
Toxaphene MR 1 1988
BHC-GAMMA MR 1 1988
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 1987
2,4,5-TP MR 1 1988
Endrin MR 1 1988
Methoxychlor MR 1 1988
Lead and Copper Rule MR 1 1996

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Point Higgins Elementary School.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID AK2121076 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Alaska Drinking Water Authority

Alaska's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.

Find AK regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2023 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 9 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 2456
2016 Chlorine MR 6 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 0999
2016 Coliform (TCR) MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 3100
2015 Nitrate MR 3 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 1040
2007 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 0200
2006 TTHM MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 2950
2005 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 1 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 2456
2004 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 12 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 0200
1996 Lead and Copper Rule MR 1 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 5000
1992 Barium MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 1010
1992 Chromium MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 1020
1992 Cadmium MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 1015
1992 Mercury MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 1035
1992 Selenium MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 1045
1992 Fluoride MR 2 SDWIS / AK2121076 / 1025

How Point Higgins Elementary School Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Point Higgins Elementary School Alaska avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 119 201.5 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 21 10.5 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 33.3% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 300 650 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,326 regulated public water systems in Alaska.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Point Higgins Elementary School water safe to drink? ▼
Point Higgins Elementary School (PWS ID: AK2121076) has 119 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 300 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Point Higgins Elementary School serve? ▼
Point Higgins Elementary School serves 300 people in Ketchikan, Alaska. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 2 service connections.
What type of violations does Point Higgins Elementary School have? ▼
Point Higgins Elementary School has 119 total violations: 21 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 40 monitoring/reporting violations, and 12 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Point Higgins Elementary School water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Point Higgins Elementary School under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Point Higgins Elementary School use? ▼
Point Higgins Elementary School uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.