OUR BAR
PWS ID: MI2005575 · ATHENS, Michigan 49011
OUR BAR serves 75 people in ATHENS, Michigan using Groundwater water sources. It has 42 recorded EPA violations, including 16 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.
Water Quality Snapshot: OUR BAR
OUR BAR is a private-owned transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 75 residents in ATHENS, Michigan (St. Joseph County) through 1 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 42 total violations for this system , of which 16 (38%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 21 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2022.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Nitrate, recorded in 16 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 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. OUR BAR's 42 violations sit above the Michigan average. Statewide, 87 of 318 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (27.4%). 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
- Transient Non-Community
- Owner Type
- Private
- Connections
- 1
- County
- St. Joseph
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 16
- Monitoring Violations
- 21
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | MCL | 16 | 2011 |
| Nitrate | MR | 10 | 2012 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 7 | 2022 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 4 | 2004 |
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 OUR BAR.
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 MI2005575 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 OUR BAR 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 7 | SDWIS / MI2005575 / 8000 |
| 2012 | Nitrate | MR | 10 | SDWIS / MI2005575 / 1040 |
| 2011 | Nitrate | MCL | 16 | SDWIS / MI2005575 / 1040 |
| 2004 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 4 | SDWIS / MI2005575 / 3100 |
How OUR BAR Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | OUR BAR | Michigan avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 42 | 23.3 | SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 16 | 2.9 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 27.4% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 75 | 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 |
| Nitrate (as N) | 10 mg/L | Acute health risk for infants |
Frequently Asked Questions
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What type of violations does OUR BAR have? ▼
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Related Data for Michigan
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.