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Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS DC0000005

Naval Observatory

Washington, District of Columbia 20374 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 250 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

250
People served
25
EPA violations
3
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 25 drinking-water violations at Naval Observatory, 12% of them health-based - below the District of Columbia per-system average.

25
Total EPA violations on record
12%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
250
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Naval Observatory

Naval Observatory is a federal-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 250 residents in Washington, District of Columbia (District of Columbia County) through 29 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 25 total violations for this system , of which 3 (12%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 13 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 Coliform (TCR), recorded in 7 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 District of Columbia, EPA tracks 5 public water systems serving 667,575 people, with 263 cumulative violations and 72 health-based violations on record. About 100% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 52.6 violations. Statewide, 3 of 3 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (100%).

Naval Observatory's 25 violations sit below the District of Columbia 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
250
Total Violations
25
Health-Based Violations
3
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Federal
Connections
29
County
District of Columbia
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
13
Treatment Tech Violations
3

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 7 2015
Public Notice Other 4 2016
Revised Total Coliform Rule RPT 3 2025
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 3 2016
Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 2 2016
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 2 2015
Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 2016
Chloramine MR 2 2010

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 Naval Observatory.

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 DC0000005 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

District of Columbia Drinking Water Authority

District of Columbia'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 DC 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 Revised Total Coliform Rule RPT 3 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 8000
2016 Public Notice Other 4 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 7500
2016 Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 3 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 0800
2016 Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 2 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 8000
2016 Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 5000
2015 Coliform (TCR) MR 7 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 3100
2015 Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 2 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 0800
2010 Chloramine MR 2 SDWIS / DC0000005 / 1006

How Naval Observatory Compares

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

Metric Naval Observatory District of Columbia avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 25 52.6 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 3 14.4 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 100% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 250 133,515 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 5 regulated public water systems in District of Columbia.

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 Naval Observatory water safe to drink? ▼
Naval Observatory (PWS ID: DC0000005) has 25 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 250 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Naval Observatory serve? ▼
Naval Observatory serves 250 people in Washington, District of Columbia. It is a Federal-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 29 service connections.
What type of violations does Naval Observatory have? ▼
Naval Observatory has 25 total violations: 3 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 13 monitoring/reporting violations, and 3 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Naval Observatory water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Naval Observatory under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Naval Observatory use? ▼
Naval Observatory uses Surface Water 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.