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Community Water System · PWS ID1050011

Fernwood Water Dist

Fernwood, Idaho 83830 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 495 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

495
People served
126
EPA violations
101
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 126 drinking-water violations at Fernwood Water Dist, 80% of them health-based - above the Idaho per-system average.

126
Total EPA violations on record
80%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
495
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Fernwood Water Dist

Fernwood Water Dist is a public/private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 495 residents in Fernwood, Idaho (Benewah County) through 218 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 126 total violations for this system , of which 101 (80%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 18 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2018.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 89 violations (TT, 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 Idaho, EPA tracks 2,005 public water systems serving 1,743,912 people, with 104,850 cumulative violations and 19,965 health-based violations on record. About 96% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 52.3 violations. Statewide, 40 of 60 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (66.7%).

Fernwood Water Dist's 126 violations sit above the Idaho 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
495
Total Violations
126
Health-Based Violations
101
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Public/Private
Connections
218
County
Benewah
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
12
Monitoring Violations
18
Treatment Tech Violations
89

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 89 2018
Coliform (TCR) MCL 12 2007
Coliform (TCR) MR 6 2009
Nitrate MR 5 2000
TTHM MR 1 2005
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 1 2005
Arsenic MR 1 2006
2,4-D MR 1 2008
Picloram MR 1 2008
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 1979
Simazine MR 1 2008

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 Fernwood Water Dist.

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 ID1050011 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Idaho Drinking Water Authority

Idaho'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 ID 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
2018 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 89 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 0200
2009 Coliform (TCR) MR 6 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 3100
2008 2,4-D MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 2105
2008 Picloram MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 2040
2008 Simazine MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 2037
2007 Coliform (TCR) MCL 12 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 3100
2006 Arsenic MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 1005
2005 TTHM MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 2950
2005 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 2456
2000 Nitrate MR 5 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 1040
1979 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050011 / 4000

How Fernwood Water Dist Compares

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

Metric Fernwood Water Dist Idaho avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 126 52.3 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 101 10 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 66.7% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 495 870 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 2,005 regulated public water systems in Idaho.

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 Fernwood Water Dist water safe to drink? ▼
Fernwood Water Dist (PWS ID: ID1050011) has 126 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 495 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Fernwood Water Dist serve? ▼
Fernwood Water Dist serves 495 people in Fernwood, Idaho. It is a Public/Private-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 218 service connections.
What type of violations does Fernwood Water Dist have? ▼
Fernwood Water Dist has 126 total violations: 101 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 18 monitoring/reporting violations, and 89 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Fernwood Water Dist water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Fernwood Water Dist under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Fernwood Water Dist use? ▼
Fernwood Water Dist 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.