Community Water System · PWS ME0090410
Great Salt Bay Sanitary District
Damariscotta, Maine 04543 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 2,143 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 2,143
- People served
- 226
- EPA violations
- 129
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 226 drinking-water violations at Great Salt Bay Sanitary District, 57% of them health-based - above the Maine per-system average.
- 226
- Total EPA violations on record
- 57%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 2,143
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Great Salt Bay Sanitary District
Great Salt Bay Sanitary District is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,143 residents in Damariscotta, Maine (Lincoln County) through 857 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 226 total violations for this system , of which 129 (57%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 96 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 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), recorded in 98 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 Maine, EPA tracks 1,864 public water systems serving 936,624 people, with 148,796 cumulative violations and 23,741 health-based violations on record. About 94% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 79.8 violations. Statewide, 14 of 41 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (34.1%).
Great Salt Bay Sanitary District's 226 violations sit above the Maine 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
- 857
- County
- Lincoln
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 122
- Monitoring Violations
- 96
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 7
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MCL | 98 | 2010 |
| Fluoride | MR | 56 | 1999 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 16 | 2015 |
| TTHM | MCL | 13 | 2010 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 11 | 2014 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | TT | 5 | 2021 |
| TTHM | MR | 3 | 2021 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 3 | 2021 |
| Thallium, Total | MR | 3 | 1993 |
| Antimony, Total | MR | 3 | 1993 |
| Nickel | MR | 3 | 1993 |
| CYANIDE | MR | 3 | 1993 |
| Beryllium, Total | MR | 3 | 1993 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 2 | 2006 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 2 | 2023 |
| Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | MR | 1 | 2016 |
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 Great Salt Bay Sanitary District.
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 ME0090410 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Maine Drinking Water Authority
Maine'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 ME 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 2 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 5000 |
| 2021 | Lead and Copper Rule | TT | 5 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 5000 |
| 2021 | TTHM | MR | 3 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 2950 |
| 2021 | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 3 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 2456 |
| 2016 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | MR | 1 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 4010 |
| 2015 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 16 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 3100 |
| 2014 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 11 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 3100 |
| 2010 | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MCL | 98 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 2456 |
| 2010 | TTHM | MCL | 13 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 2950 |
| 2006 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 2 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 0200 |
| 1999 | Fluoride | MR | 56 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 1025 |
| 1993 | Thallium, Total | MR | 3 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 1085 |
| 1993 | Antimony, Total | MR | 3 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 1074 |
| 1993 | Nickel | MR | 3 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 1036 |
| 1993 | CYANIDE | MR | 3 | SDWIS / ME0090410 / 1024 |
How Great Salt Bay Sanitary District Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Great Salt Bay Sanitary District | Maine avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 226 | 79.8 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 129 | 12.7 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 34.1% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 2,143 | 502 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,864 regulated public water systems in Maine.
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 Great Salt Bay Sanitary District water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Great Salt Bay Sanitary District serve? ▼
What type of violations does Great Salt Bay Sanitary District have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Great Salt Bay Sanitary District water? ▼
What water source does Great Salt Bay Sanitary District 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.