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Community Water System · PWS AK2320248

Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is)

Anchorage, Alaska 99518 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 292 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

292
People served
326
EPA violations
17
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 326 drinking-water violations at Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is), 5% of them health-based - above the Alaska per-system average.

326
Total EPA violations on record
5%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
292
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is)

Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) is a native american-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 292 residents in Anchorage, Alaska (North Slope Borough County) through 123 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 326 total violations for this system , of which 17 (5%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 226 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2019.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 100 violations (MR). 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%).

Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is)'s 326 violations sit above 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
292
Total Violations
326
Health-Based Violations
17
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Native American
Connections
123
County
North Slope Borough
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
226
Treatment Tech Violations
17

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 100 2005
Coliform (TCR) MR 39 2005
Chlorine MR 18 2005
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 17 2003
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 2019
Nitrate MR 4 1999
Fluoride MR 4 1990
Barium MR 2 1989
Selenium MR 2 1989
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 2 1999
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 2 1999
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 2 1999
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 2 1999
CHLOROBENZENE MR 2 1999
Toluene MR 2 1999
Tetrachloroethylene MR 2 1999
Ethylbenzene MR 2 1999
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 2 1999
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 2 1999
Trichloroethylene MR 2 1999
Benzene MR 2 1999
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 2 1999
Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 2008
Cadmium MR 2 1989
Xylenes, Total MR 2 1999
Arsenic MR 2 1989
Styrene MR 2 1999
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 2 1999
Carbon tetrachloride MR 2 1999
Chromium MR 2 1989

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 Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is).

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 AK2320248 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
2019 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 7000
2008 Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 5000
2008 Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 1 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 0800
2005 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 100 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 0200
2005 Coliform (TCR) MR 39 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 3100
2005 Chlorine MR 18 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 0999
2003 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 17 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 0200
1999 Nitrate MR 4 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 1040
1999 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 2964
1999 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 2378
1999 1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 2985
1999 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 2981
1999 CHLOROBENZENE MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 2989
1999 Toluene MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 2991
1999 Tetrachloroethylene MR 2 SDWIS / AK2320248 / 2987

How Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) Compares

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

Metric Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) Alaska avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 326 201.5 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 17 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 292 650 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 Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) water safe to drink? ▼
Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) (PWS ID: AK2320248) has 326 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 292 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) serve? ▼
Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) serves 292 people in Anchorage, Alaska. It is a Native American-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 123 service connections.
What type of violations does Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) have? ▼
Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) has 326 total violations: 17 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 226 monitoring/reporting violations, and 17 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) use? ▼
Nsbu - Kaktovik (Barter Is) 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.