PlainWater
States → Alaska

Community Water System · PWS AK2121510

South Tongass Water Utility

Ketchikan, Alaska 99901 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 975 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

975
People served
99
EPA violations
21
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 99 drinking-water violations at South Tongass Water Utility, 21% of them health-based - below the Alaska per-system average.

99
Total EPA violations on record
21%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
975
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: South Tongass Water Utility

South Tongass Water Utility is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 975 residents in Ketchikan, Alaska (Ketchikan Gateway Borough County) through 327 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 99 total violations for this system , of which 21 (21%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 16 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), recorded in 9 violations (MCL, 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%).

South Tongass Water Utility's 99 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
975
Total Violations
99
Health-Based Violations
21
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
327
County
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
9
Monitoring Violations
16
Treatment Tech Violations
12

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 9 2025
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 6 2018
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 6 2015
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 2016
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 2020
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 2019
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2017
Coliform (TCR) MR 1 2012
Chlorine MR 1 2012

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 South Tongass Water Utility.

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 AK2121510 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
2025 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 9 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 2456
2020 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 0200
2019 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 0300
2018 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 6 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 0200
2017 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 7000
2016 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 2456
2015 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 6 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 0300
2012 Coliform (TCR) MR 1 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 3100
2012 Chlorine MR 1 SDWIS / AK2121510 / 0999

How South Tongass Water Utility Compares

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

Metric South Tongass Water Utility Alaska avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 99 201.5 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 975 650 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 South Tongass Water Utility water safe to drink? ▼
South Tongass Water Utility (PWS ID: AK2121510) has 99 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 975 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does South Tongass Water Utility serve? ▼
South Tongass Water Utility serves 975 people in Ketchikan, Alaska. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 327 service connections.
What type of violations does South Tongass Water Utility have? ▼
South Tongass Water Utility has 99 total violations: 21 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 16 monitoring/reporting violations, and 12 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in South Tongass Water Utility water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for South Tongass Water Utility under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does South Tongass Water Utility use? ▼
South Tongass Water Utility uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
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.