Community Water System · PWS MI0000705
Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority
Mio, Michigan 48647 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 622 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 622
- People served
- 18
- EPA violations
- 10
- Health-based
- No PFAS
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 18 drinking-water violations at Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority, 56% of them health-based - below the Michigan per-system average.
- 18
- Total EPA violations on record
- 56%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 622
- People served by this system
- 0
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority
Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 622 residents in Mio, Michigan (Oscoda County) through 235 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 18 total violations for this system , of which 10 (56%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 8 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2017.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 10 violations (MCL, health-based). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.
Across Michigan, EPA tracks 10,959 public water systems serving 9,098,093 people, with 255,201 cumulative violations and 31,467 health-based violations on record. About 86% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 23.3 violations. Statewide, 44 of 318 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (13.8%).
Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority's 18 violations sit below the Michigan 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
- 235
- County
- Oscoda
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 10
- Monitoring Violations
- 8
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 10 | 1999 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 4 | 2017 |
| TTHM | MR | 4 | 2017 |
PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)
Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 58 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:2 FTS | 4/15/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 4/15/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 4/15/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 4/15/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 4/15/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 4/15/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 4/15/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 4/15/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 4/15/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 4/15/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 4/15/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 4/15/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 4/15/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 4/15/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 4/15/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 4/15/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 4/15/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 4/15/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 10/7/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 10/7/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 10/7/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 10/7/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 10/7/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 10/7/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 10/7/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 10/7/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 10/7/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 10/7/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 10/7/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 10/7/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 10/7/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 10/7/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 10/7/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 10/7/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 10/7/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 10/7/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 10/7/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 10/7/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 10/7/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
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 Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority.
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 MI0000705 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Michigan Drinking Water Authority
Michigan EGLE, Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority under EPA-delegated authority.
Open MI regulator portalSource: Michigan EGLE, Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 4 | SDWIS / MI0000705 / 2456 |
| 2017 | TTHM | MR | 4 | SDWIS / MI0000705 / 2950 |
| 1999 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 10 | SDWIS / MI0000705 / 3100 |
How Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority | Michigan avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 18 | 23.3 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 10 | 2.9 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 13.8% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 622 | 830 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 10,959 regulated public water systems in Michigan.
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 Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority serve? ▼
What type of violations does Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority water? ▼
What water source does Big Creek/Mentor Utility Authority 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.