Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS MI2019721
Rusty Rail
Cornell, Michigan 49818 — drinking water served from groundwater sources to 30 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 30
- People served
- 17
- EPA violations
- 4
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 17 drinking-water violations at Rusty Rail, 24% of them health-based — below the Michigan per-system average.
- 17
- Total EPA violations on record
- 24%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 30
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Rusty Rail
Rusty Rail is a private-owned transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 30 residents in Cornell, Michigan (Delta County) through 1 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 17 total violations for this system , of which 4 (24%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 13 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2012.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 9 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 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. Rusty Rail's 17 violations sit below 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
- Delta
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 4
- Monitoring Violations
- 13
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 9 | 2012 |
| Nitrate | MR | 4 | 1999 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | 1994 |
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 Rusty Rail.
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 MI2019721 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 Rusty Rail 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 9 | SDWIS / MI2019721 / 3100 |
| 1999 | Nitrate | MR | 4 | SDWIS / MI2019721 / 1040 |
| 1994 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | SDWIS / MI2019721 / 3100 |
How Rusty Rail Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Rusty Rail | Michigan avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 17 | 23.3 | SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 4 | 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 | 30 | 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
Is Rusty Rail water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Rusty Rail serve? ▼
What type of violations does Rusty Rail have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Rusty Rail water? ▼
What water source does Rusty Rail use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Explore PlainWater
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.