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Community Water System · PWS KY0530083

Columbus Water Works

Columbus, Kentucky 42032 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 300 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

300
People served
969
EPA violations
4
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 969 drinking-water violations at Columbus Water Works - above the Kentucky per-system average.

969
Total EPA violations on record
0%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
300
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Columbus Water Works

Columbus Water Works is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 300 residents in Columbus, Kentucky (Hickman County) through 99 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 969 total violations for this system , of which 4 (0%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 800 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 40 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 Kentucky, EPA tracks 424 public water systems serving 4,570,541 people, with 80,482 cumulative violations and 12,554 health-based violations on record. About 99% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 189.8 violations. Statewide, 107 of 231 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (46.3%).

Columbus Water Works's 969 violations sit above the Kentucky 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
300
Total Violations
969
Health-Based Violations
4
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
99
County
Hickman
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
800
Treatment Tech Violations
4

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 40 2009
Lead and Copper Rule MR 32 2010
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 26 2016
Diquat MR 14 2008
Glyphosate MR 14 2008
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 14 2008
Simazine MR 14 2008
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 14 2008
Dinoseb MR 14 2008
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 14 2008
Aldicarb sulfoxide MR 14 2008
LASSO MR 14 2008
Benzo(a)pyrene MR 14 2008
Pentachlorophenol MR 14 2008
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 14 2008
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE MR 14 2008
Dalapon MR 14 2008
Endothall MR 14 2008
OXAMYL MR 14 2008
Carbofuran MR 14 2008
Aldicarb MR 14 2008
Atrazine MR 14 2008
Heptachlor MR 14 2008
Heptachlor epoxide MR 14 2008
Picloram MR 14 2008
Aldicarb sulfone MR 14 2008
HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 14 2008
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 14 2008
Chlordane MR 14 2008
TTHM MR 13 2024

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 Columbus Water Works.

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 KY0530083 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Kentucky Drinking Water Authority

Kentucky'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 KY 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
2024 TTHM MR 13 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 2950
2024 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 13 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 2456
2018 Groundwater Rule MR 8 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 0700
2018 Groundwater Rule TT 4 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 0700
2016 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 26 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 7000
2011 Public Notice Other 9 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 7500
2010 Lead and Copper Rule MR 32 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 5000
2010 Combined Uranium MR 5 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 4006
2010 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 5 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 4000
2010 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 5 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 4010
2009 Coliform (TCR) MR 40 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 3100
2008 Diquat MR 14 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 2032
2008 Glyphosate MR 14 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 2034
2008 Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 14 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 2035
2008 Simazine MR 14 SDWIS / KY0530083 / 2037

How Columbus Water Works Compares

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

Metric Columbus Water Works Kentucky avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 969 189.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 4 29.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 46.3% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 300 10,780 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 424 regulated public water systems in Kentucky.

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 Columbus Water Works water safe to drink? ▼
Columbus Water Works (PWS ID: KY0530083) has 969 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 300 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Columbus Water Works serve? ▼
Columbus Water Works serves 300 people in Columbus, Kentucky. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 99 service connections.
What type of violations does Columbus Water Works have? ▼
Columbus Water Works has 969 total violations: 4 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 800 monitoring/reporting violations, and 4 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Columbus Water Works water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Columbus Water Works under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Columbus Water Works use? ▼
Columbus Water Works 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.