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SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT

PWS ID: ME0091490 · SOUTHWEST HARBOR, Maine 04679

SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT serves 2,480 people in SOUTHWEST HARBOR, Maine using Surface Water water sources. It has 536 recorded EPA violations, including 426 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT

SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,480 residents in SOUTHWEST HARBOR, Maine (Hancock County) through 992 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 536 total violations for this system , of which 426 (79%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 84 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 283 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. SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT's 536 violations sit above the Maine average. Statewide, 14 of 41 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (34.1%). 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
2,480
Total Violations
536
Health-Based Violations
426
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
992
County
Hancock
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
383
Monitoring Violations
84
Treatment Tech Violations
43

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MCL 283 2020
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 89 2007
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 43 1998
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 36 2022
TTHM MR 32 2022
Coliform (TCR) MCL 11 2003
Public Notice Other 10 2023
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 9 2022
Asbestos MR 4 2012
Thallium, Total MR 2 1993
Beryllium, Total MR 2 1993
Antimony, Total MR 2 1993
Nickel MR 2 1993
Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 2021
CYANIDE MR 2 1993

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 SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT.

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 ME0091490 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

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 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 Public Notice Other 10 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 7500
2022 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 36 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 2456
2022 TTHM MR 32 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 2950
2022 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 9 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 7000
2021 Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 5000
2020 TTHM MCL 283 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 2950
2012 Asbestos MR 4 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 1094
2007 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 89 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 2456
2003 Coliform (TCR) MCL 11 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 3100
1998 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 43 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 0200
1993 Thallium, Total MR 2 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 1085
1993 Beryllium, Total MR 2 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 1075
1993 Antimony, Total MR 2 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 1074
1993 Nickel MR 2 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 1036
1993 CYANIDE MR 2 SDWIS / ME0091490 / 1024

How SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT Compares

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

Metric SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT Maine avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 536 79.8 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 426 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 2,480 502 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
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT water safe to drink? ▼
SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT (PWS ID: ME0091490) has 536 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 2,480 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT serve? ▼
SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT serves 2,480 people in SOUTHWEST HARBOR, Maine. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 992 service connections.
What type of violations does SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT have? ▼
SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT has 536 total violations: 426 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 84 monitoring/reporting violations, and 43 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT use? ▼
SOUTHWEST HARBOR WATER & SEWER DISTRICT 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.

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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.

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