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NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PWS ID: IN2920880 · COLUMBIA CITY, Indiana 46725

NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves 566 people in COLUMBIA CITY, Indiana using Groundwater water sources. It has 544 recorded EPA violations, including 26 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a local-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 566 residents in COLUMBIA CITY, Indiana (Whitley County) through 1 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 544 total violations for this system , of which 26 (5%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 518 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 p-Dichlorobenzene, recorded in 24 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 Indiana, EPA tracks 3,967 public water systems serving 5,774,616 people, with 352,710 cumulative violations and 35,932 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 88.9 violations. NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's 544 violations sit above the Indiana average. Statewide, 93 of 229 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (40.6%). 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
566
Total Violations
544
Health-Based Violations
26
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
1
County
Whitley
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
24
Monitoring Violations
518
Treatment Tech Violations
2

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 24 2012
Vinyl chloride MR 24 2012
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 24 2012
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 24 2012
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 24 2012
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 24 2012
Carbon tetrachloride MR 24 2012
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 24 2012
CHLOROBENZENE MR 24 2012
Benzene MR 24 2012
Ethylbenzene MR 24 2012
Styrene MR 24 2012
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 24 2012
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 24 2012
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 24 2012
Trichloroethylene MR 24 2012
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 24 2012
Tetrachloroethylene MR 24 2012
Toluene MR 24 2012
Xylenes, Total MR 24 2012
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 24 2012
Arsenic MCL 20 2007
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 6 2023
Arsenic MR 5 2008
Coliform (TCR) MCL 4 2003
Coliform (TCR) MR 3 2008
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 2 2025

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 NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

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 IN2920880 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Indiana Drinking Water Authority

Indiana Department of Environmental Management — Drinking Water Branch is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL under EPA-delegated authority.

Open IN regulator portal

Source: Indiana Department of Environmental Management — Drinking Water Branch

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 Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 2 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 0400
2023 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 6 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 8000
2012 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2969
2012 Vinyl chloride MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2976
2012 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2977
2012 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2979
2012 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2980
2012 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2981
2012 Carbon tetrachloride MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2982
2012 1,2-Dichloropropane MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2983
2012 CHLOROBENZENE MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2989
2012 Benzene MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2990
2012 Ethylbenzene MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2992
2012 Styrene MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2996
2012 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 24 SDWIS / IN2920880 / 2378

How NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Compares

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

Metric NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Indiana avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 544 88.9 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 26 9.1 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 40.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 566 1,456 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 3,967 regulated public water systems in Indiana.

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
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL water safe to drink?
NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (PWS ID: IN2920880) has 544 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 566 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves 566 people in COLUMBIA CITY, Indiana. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 1 service connections.
What type of violations does NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL have?
NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has 544 total violations: 26 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 518 monitoring/reporting violations, and 2 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL water?
No PFAS testing data is available for NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL use?
NORTHERN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL uses Groundwater 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.

Explore PlainWater

Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Related

Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial