Community Water System · PWS LA1063005
Fourth Ward Water Works
Albany, Louisiana 70711 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 4,839 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 4,839
- People served
- 25
- EPA violations
- 21
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 25 drinking-water violations at Fourth Ward Water Works, 84% of them health-based - below the Louisiana per-system average.
- 25
- Total EPA violations on record
- 84%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 4,839
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Fourth Ward Water Works
Fourth Ward Water Works is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 4,839 residents in Albany, Louisiana (Livingston Parish County) through 1,613 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 25 total violations for this system , of which 21 (84%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 1 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 Groundwater Rule, recorded in 12 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 Louisiana, EPA tracks 1,234 public water systems serving 5,316,532 people, with 115,060 cumulative violations and 62,164 health-based violations on record. About 93% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 93.2 violations. Statewide, 218 of 265 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (82.3%).
Fourth Ward Water Works's 25 violations sit below the Louisiana average.
All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 1,613
- County
- Livingston Parish
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 9
- Monitoring Violations
- 1
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 12
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groundwater Rule | TT | 12 | 2025 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 9 | 2002 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 1 | 1999 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 1 | 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 Fourth Ward Water Works.
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 LA1063005 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Louisiana Drinking Water Authority
Louisiana'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 LA regulator via EPA SDWISViolation 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 | Groundwater Rule | TT | 12 | SDWIS / LA1063005 / 0700 |
| 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 1 | SDWIS / LA1063005 / 5000 |
| 2002 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 9 | SDWIS / LA1063005 / 3100 |
| 1999 | Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 1 | SDWIS / LA1063005 / 7000 |
How Fourth Ward Water Works Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Fourth Ward Water Works | Louisiana avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 25 | 93.2 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 21 | 50.4 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 82.3% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 4,839 | 4,308 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,234 regulated public water systems in Louisiana.
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 Fourth Ward Water Works water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Fourth Ward Water Works serve? ▼
What type of violations does Fourth Ward Water Works have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Fourth Ward Water Works water? ▼
What water source does Fourth Ward Water Works use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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.