PlainWater
States → Kentucky

Community Water System · PWS KY0750055

Calhoun Water Works

Calhoun, Kentucky 42327 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 966 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

966
People served
197
EPA violations
107
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 197 drinking-water violations at Calhoun Water Works, 54% of them health-based - above the Kentucky per-system average.

197
Total EPA violations on record
54%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
966
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Calhoun Water Works

Calhoun Water Works is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 966 residents in Calhoun, Kentucky (McLean County) through 438 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 197 total violations for this system , of which 107 (54%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 83 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is TTHM, recorded in 82 violations (MCL, 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 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%).

Calhoun Water Works's 197 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
966
Total Violations
197
Health-Based Violations
107
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
438
County
McLean
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
107
Monitoring Violations
83
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MCL 82 2023
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 25 2018
Lead and Copper Rule MR 6 1993
Barium MR 5 1997
Cadmium MR 5 1997
Arsenic MR 5 1997
Coliform (TCR) MR 5 2013
TTHM MR 5 2016
Selenium MR 5 1997
Chromium MR 5 1997
Mercury MR 5 1997
Nitrate MR 5 1994
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 5 2017
Beryllium, Total MR 4 1997
Thallium, Total MR 4 1997
CYANIDE MR 4 1997
Antimony, Total MR 4 1997
CARBON, TOTAL MR 4 2007
Nickel MR 4 1997
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 3 1995
Public Notice Other 2 2008
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2009

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 Calhoun 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 KY0750055 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
2023 TTHM MCL 82 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 2950
2018 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 25 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 2456
2017 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 2456
2016 TTHM MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 2950
2013 Coliform (TCR) MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 3100
2009 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 7000
2008 Public Notice Other 2 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 7500
2007 CARBON, TOTAL MR 4 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 2920
1997 Barium MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 1010
1997 Cadmium MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 1015
1997 Arsenic MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 1005
1997 Selenium MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 1045
1997 Chromium MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 1020
1997 Mercury MR 5 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 1035
1997 Beryllium, Total MR 4 SDWIS / KY0750055 / 1075

How Calhoun Water Works Compares

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

Metric Calhoun Water Works Kentucky avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 197 189.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 107 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 966 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 Calhoun Water Works water safe to drink? ▼
Calhoun Water Works (PWS ID: KY0750055) has 197 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 966 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Calhoun Water Works serve? ▼
Calhoun Water Works serves 966 people in Calhoun, Kentucky. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 438 service connections.
What type of violations does Calhoun Water Works have? ▼
Calhoun Water Works has 197 total violations: 107 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 83 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Calhoun Water Works water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Calhoun Water Works under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Calhoun Water Works use? ▼
Calhoun Water Works 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.