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Community Water System · PWS ID1050023

Santa Water and Sewer Dist

Fernwood, Idaho 83830 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 150 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

150
People served
79
EPA violations
10
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 79 drinking-water violations at Santa Water and Sewer Dist, 13% of them health-based - above the Idaho per-system average.

79
Total EPA violations on record
13%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
150
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Santa Water and Sewer Dist

Santa Water and Sewer Dist is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 150 residents in Fernwood, Idaho (Benewah County) through 60 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 79 total violations for this system , of which 10 (13%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 68 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 25 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 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%).

Santa Water and Sewer Dist's 79 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
150
Total Violations
79
Health-Based Violations
10
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
60
County
Benewah
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
10
Monitoring Violations
68
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 25 2009
Coliform (TCR) MCL 10 1997
Nitrate MR 9 2008
Cadmium MR 4 1993
Chromium MR 4 1993
Mercury MR 4 1993
Barium MR 4 1993
Fluoride MR 4 1993
Selenium MR 4 1993
Chlorine MR 2 2025
Methoxychlor MR 1 1979
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 1979
Endrin MR 1 1979
Arsenic MR 1 1979
2,4-D MR 1 1979
2,4,5-TP MR 1 1979
Toxaphene MR 1 1979
BHC-GAMMA MR 1 1979

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 Santa Water and Sewer 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 ID1050023 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
2025 Chlorine MR 2 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 0999
2009 Coliform (TCR) MR 25 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 3100
2008 Nitrate MR 9 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1040
1997 Coliform (TCR) MCL 10 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 3100
1993 Cadmium MR 4 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1015
1993 Chromium MR 4 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1020
1993 Mercury MR 4 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1035
1993 Barium MR 4 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1010
1993 Fluoride MR 4 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1025
1993 Selenium MR 4 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1045
1979 Methoxychlor MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 2015
1979 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 4000
1979 Endrin MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 2005
1979 Arsenic MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 1005
1979 2,4-D MR 1 SDWIS / ID1050023 / 2105

How Santa Water and Sewer Dist Compares

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

Metric Santa Water and Sewer Dist Idaho avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 79 52.3 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 10 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 150 870 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 Santa Water and Sewer Dist water safe to drink? ▼
Santa Water and Sewer Dist (PWS ID: ID1050023) has 79 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 150 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Santa Water and Sewer Dist serve? ▼
Santa Water and Sewer Dist serves 150 people in Fernwood, Idaho. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 60 service connections.
What type of violations does Santa Water and Sewer Dist have? ▼
Santa Water and Sewer Dist has 79 total violations: 10 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 68 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Santa Water and Sewer Dist water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Santa Water and Sewer Dist under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Santa Water and Sewer Dist use? ▼
Santa Water and Sewer Dist uses Groundwater 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.