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Community Water System · PWS AL0000314

Colbert County Rural Water System

Operator location Tuscumbia, Alabama - UCMR5 detected 8 PFAS compounds (upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds)) on this PWS; SDWIS lists 157 violations and 13,395 people served.

13,395
People served (this PWS) Larger third of systems
157
EPA violations (this PWS) Upper third of systems
4
Health-based (this PWS) Middle third by health-based share
8 PFAS
UCMR5 (this PWS) Upper third of PFAS-detected systems
Follow published updates (RSS)

Colbert County Rural Water System standing, high SDWIS violation third

UCMR5 detected 8 PFAS compounds - upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 3% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds). Population rank #3,778 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.

The verdict

Colbert County Rural Water System sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (157), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is large (13,395; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 3% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 detected 8 PFAS compounds (upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds)).

#3,778 of 29,740
Population · /systems
#97 of 487
Population · AL
157
Total EPA violations on record
3%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)

Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.

PFAS Detected

8 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

F
Water Safety Score
21/100
Colbert County Rural Water System

Based on EPA SDWIS violation history and UCMR5 PFAS testing only, not water taste, odor, infrastructure age, or contaminants outside the federally tracked set.

Health-based violations D
4
EPA SDWIS health-based violations on record (MCL, MRDL, treatment technique)
Monitoring & reporting violations F
153
Non-health SDWIS violations (monitoring, reporting, and other compliance)
PFAS contamination F
0.0377 µg/L
Highest PFAS compound level detected in UCMR5 testing

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
4,465
County
Colbert
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
152
Treatment Tech Violations
4

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MR 16 2018
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 16 2018
Coliform (TCR) MR 7 1999
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 4 2021
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 2021
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2021
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 4 2021
Tetrachloroethylene MR 4 2021
CHLOROBENZENE MR 4 2021
Benzene MR 4 2021
Toluene MR 4 2021
Styrene MR 4 2021
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 4 2021
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2021
Ethylbenzene MR 4 2021
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 4 2009
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 4 2021
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 4 2021
Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 2021
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 4 2021
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2021
Trichloroethylene MR 4 2021
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 2021
Vinyl chloride MR 4 2021
Xylenes, Total MR 4 2021
Lead and Copper Rule MR 3 1995
Arsenic MR 2 2021
Cadmium MR 2 2021
CYANIDE MR 2 2021
Fluoride MR 2 2021

Violation Count vs. the National Corpus

Colbert County Rural Water System has 157 recorded EPA violations, 82% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 18% carry more. 3% of this system's own violations are health-based (4 of 157), and it ranks #3,778 of 29,740 by population served among that same cohort.

EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus

Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)

157 Higher than most more violations than 82% of 29,740 water systems

the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15

How many violations vs. how serious, among peer systems

Colbert County Rural Water System plotted against 29 peer public water systems (500+ people served), by total violation count (x) and the share of those violations that are health-based (y). The crosshair sits at this sample's own median on each axis. A high violation count does not automatically mean a serious record: most monitoring and reporting violations are minor, not health-based.

Violation volume vs. health-based share

30 public water systems (500+ people served), EPA SDWIS current release. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Total violations (X) and Health-based share (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Frequent and seriousRare but seriousFrequent, mostly paperworkClean record 0200400600 0%20%40%60%80%100% Total violations Health-based share Violation volume vs. health-based share Miccosukee Service Plaza-0, 0%Brazoria - Fort Bend Counties MUD 3-0, 0%Tanglewilde Thompson Place 600-2, 0%Center Water Co-5, 0%Montgomery Co RWD 12-7, 29%Spring Mills Elem School/Hvs-9, 0%Irvin Water District #6-11, 27%Great Bend Industrial Park-14, 0%Nooksack Valley Water Association-16, 31%Glen Park Village-19, 0%Camp Is-Sho-Da-22, 0%Kipling Oaks 1-25, 16%McLouth, City Of-29, 17%Hamilton-33, 0%Pine Valley Plantation-37, 24%Lake Gibson Estates-42, 2%Ticonderoga WD-47, 26%Town of Welaka-54, 0%Township of Blairstown Dpw-61, 0%McIntosh Water & Fire Pro Authority-71, 0%Sunset Ridge Water District-82, 15%South Deerfield Water Supply District-96, 16%Clarkdale Municipal Water System-114, 0%Orange Water Dept-136, 14%Mount Pleasant Water Sys #1-167, 11%Benson Culinary Improvement District-212, 1%Eureka Water Association-273, 0%City of Ballinger-372, 85%Conemaugh Twp Muni Auth-567, 1%Colbert County Rural Water System-157, 3%
30 public water systems (500+ people served), EPA SDWIS current release.

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 120 of 754 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
ADONA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 7/25/2023 15.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Detected
6:2 FTS 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 7/25/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 7/25/2023 3.10 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFEESA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 7/25/2023 7.10 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
NFDHA 7/25/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 7/25/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 7/25/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/25/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 7/25/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/25/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 7/25/2023 14.90 ppt 4.00 ppt Detected
PFOA 7/25/2023 7.30 ppt 4.00 ppt Detected
PFDA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 7/25/2023 3.70 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFUnA 7/25/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 7/25/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 7/25/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 7/25/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 7/25/2023 3.20 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFMPA 7/25/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 7/25/2023 7.10 ppt 5.00 ppt Detected
HFPO-DA 7/25/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 7/25/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 7/25/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 7/25/2023 3.30 ppt 3.00 ppt Detected
PFDA 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 7/25/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 7/25/2023 5.90 ppt 4.00 ppt Detected
PFNA 7/25/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 7/25/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected

UCMR5 PFAS record for Colbert County Rural Water System

Open EPA SDWIS federal reports for PWS AL0000314 to cross-check UCMR5 detections and violation codes; state primacy agencies enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act locally.

Sources: EPA SDWIS

Nationwide peers

157 violations · 13,395 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.

Cross-state systems with comparable violation load

Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.

4 peers

Cross-state systems with similar served population

Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).

4 peers

What to do with Colbert County Rural Water System

Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.

  • See how every tracked system in Alabama compares on the same EPA violation measures. Alabama systems
  • Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
  • Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems

EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.

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

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