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Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS MD1150045

Seneca Academy & the Circle School

Darnestown, Maryland 20874 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 60 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

60
People served
25
EPA violations
2
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 25 drinking-water violations at Seneca Academy & the Circle School, 8% of them health-based - above the Maryland per-system average.

25
Total EPA violations on record
8%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
60
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Seneca Academy & the Circle School

Seneca Academy & the Circle School is a private-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 60 residents in Darnestown, Maryland (Montgomery County) through 1 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 2 (8%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 23 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2019.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 15 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 Maryland, EPA tracks 3,215 public water systems serving 6,070,211 people, with 60,496 cumulative violations and 18,132 health-based violations on record. About 80% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 18.8 violations. Statewide, 50 of 83 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.2%).

Seneca Academy & the Circle School's 25 violations sit above the Maryland 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
60
Total Violations
25
Health-Based Violations
2
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
1
County
Montgomery
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
23
Treatment Tech Violations
2

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 15 2013
Coliform (TCR) MR 7 2000
Lead and Copper Rule TT 2 2006
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 1 2019

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 Seneca Academy & the Circle 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 MD1150045 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Maryland Drinking Water Authority

Maryland'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 MD 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
2019 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 1 SDWIS / MD1150045 / 8000
2013 Lead and Copper Rule MR 15 SDWIS / MD1150045 / 5000
2006 Lead and Copper Rule TT 2 SDWIS / MD1150045 / 5000
2000 Coliform (TCR) MR 7 SDWIS / MD1150045 / 3100

How Seneca Academy & the Circle School Compares

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

Metric Seneca Academy & the Circle School Maryland avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 25 18.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 2 5.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 60.2% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 60 1,888 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 3,215 regulated public water systems in Maryland.

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 Seneca Academy & the Circle School water safe to drink? ▼
Seneca Academy & the Circle School (PWS ID: MD1150045) has 25 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 60 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Seneca Academy & the Circle School serve? ▼
Seneca Academy & the Circle School serves 60 people in Darnestown, Maryland. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 1 service connections.
What type of violations does Seneca Academy & the Circle School have? ▼
Seneca Academy & the Circle School has 25 total violations: 2 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 23 monitoring/reporting violations, and 2 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Seneca Academy & the Circle School water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Seneca Academy & the Circle School under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Seneca Academy & the Circle School use? ▼
Seneca Academy & the Circle 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.
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.