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Community Water System · PWS AK2340060

Kotzebue Mun. Water System

Kotzebue, Alaska 99752 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 3,234 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

3,234
People served
566
EPA violations
244
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 566 drinking-water violations at Kotzebue Mun. Water System, 43% of them health-based - above the Alaska per-system average.

566
Total EPA violations on record
43%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
3,234
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Kotzebue Mun. Water System

Kotzebue Mun. Water System is a native american-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 3,234 residents in Kotzebue, Alaska (Northwest Arctic Borough County) through 777 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 566 total violations for this system , of which 244 (43%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 209 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 120 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%).

Kotzebue Mun. Water System's 566 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
3,234
Total Violations
566
Health-Based Violations
244
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Native American
Connections
777
County
Northwest Arctic Borough
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
224
Monitoring Violations
209
Treatment Tech Violations
20

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 120 2025
TTHM MCL 104 2025
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 15 2023
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 10 2004
CARBON, TOTAL MR 10 2006
Carbon tetrachloride MR 6 1999
CHLOROBENZENE MR 6 1999
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 1999
Styrene MR 6 1999
Tetrachloroethylene MR 6 1999
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 1999
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 6 1999
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 6 1999
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 6 1999
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 6 1999
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 6 1999
Trichloroethylene MR 6 1999
Ethylbenzene MR 6 1999
Benzene MR 6 1999
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 6 1999
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 1999
Toluene MR 6 1999
Fluoride MR 6 1990
TTHM MR 6 2018
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 2022
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 1999
Nitrate MR 5 1999
CARBON, TOTAL TT 5 2009
2,4-D MR 4 1990
BHC-GAMMA MR 4 1990

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 Kotzebue Mun. Water System.

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 AK2340060 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 120 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2456
2025 TTHM MCL 104 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2950
2023 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 15 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 0200
2022 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2456
2018 TTHM MR 6 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2950
2010 Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 5000
2010 Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 1 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 0600
2009 CARBON, TOTAL TT 5 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2920
2008 Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 1 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 0800
2006 CARBON, TOTAL MR 10 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2920
2006 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 1 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 0300
2004 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 10 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 0200
1999 Carbon tetrachloride MR 6 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2982
1999 CHLOROBENZENE MR 6 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2989
1999 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 SDWIS / AK2340060 / 2380

How Kotzebue Mun. Water System Compares

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

Metric Kotzebue Mun. Water System Alaska avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 566 201.5 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 244 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 3,234 650 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 Kotzebue Mun. Water System water safe to drink? ▼
Kotzebue Mun. Water System (PWS ID: AK2340060) has 566 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 3,234 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Kotzebue Mun. Water System serve? ▼
Kotzebue Mun. Water System serves 3,234 people in Kotzebue, Alaska. It is a Native American-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 777 service connections.
What type of violations does Kotzebue Mun. Water System have? ▼
Kotzebue Mun. Water System has 566 total violations: 244 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 209 monitoring/reporting violations, and 20 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Kotzebue Mun. Water System water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Kotzebue Mun. Water System under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Kotzebue Mun. Water System use? ▼
Kotzebue Mun. Water System 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.