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Community Water System · PWS MO4010255

Essex PWS

Essex, Missouri 63846-0000 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 399 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

399
People served
99
EPA violations
36
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 99 drinking-water violations at Essex PWS, 36% of them health-based - above the Missouri per-system average.

99
Total EPA violations on record
36%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
399
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Essex PWS

Essex PWS is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 399 residents in Essex, Missouri (Stoddard County) through 260 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 99 total violations for this system , of which 36 (36%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 49 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Groundwater Rule, recorded in 19 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 Missouri, EPA tracks 2,823 public water systems serving 5,855,885 people, with 201,695 cumulative violations and 54,821 health-based violations on record. About 95% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 71.4 violations. Statewide, 162 of 230 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (70.4%).

Essex PWS's 99 violations sit above the Missouri average.

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
399
Total Violations
99
Health-Based Violations
36
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
260
County
Stoddard
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
17
Monitoring Violations
49
Treatment Tech Violations
19

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Groundwater Rule MR 19 2025
Groundwater Rule TT 15 2017
Coliform (TCR) MCL 11 2013
Revised Total Coliform Rule MCL 6 2022
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 4 2023
Coliform (TCR) MR 3 2000
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 3 2025
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 2 1994
Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 2 2008
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 2013
Public Notice Other 1 2023
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 1 2000
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 1 2000
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 1 2000
CHLOROBENZENE MR 1 2000
Toluene MR 1 2000
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 1 2000
Tetrachloroethylene MR 1 2000
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 1 2000
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 1 2000
Carbon tetrachloride MR 1 2000
Xylenes, Total MR 1 2000
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 1 2000
Ethylbenzene MR 1 2000
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 1 2000
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 1 2000
Trichloroethylene MR 1 2000
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 1 2000
Styrene MR 1 2000
Vinyl chloride MR 1 2000

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 Essex PWS.

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 MO4010255 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Missouri Drinking Water Authority

Missouri DNR, Public Drinking Water Branch is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Essex PWS under EPA-delegated authority.

Open MO regulator portal

Source: Missouri DNR, Public Drinking Water Branch

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
2025 Groundwater Rule MR 19 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 0700
2025 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 3 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 8000
2023 Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 4 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 0400
2023 Public Notice Other 1 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 7500
2022 Revised Total Coliform Rule MCL 6 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 8000
2017 Groundwater Rule TT 15 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 0700
2013 Coliform (TCR) MCL 11 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 3100
2013 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 7000
2008 Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 2 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 0600
2000 Coliform (TCR) MR 3 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 3100
2000 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 1 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 2380
2000 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 1 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 2977
2000 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 1 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 2981
2000 CHLOROBENZENE MR 1 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 2989
2000 Toluene MR 1 SDWIS / MO4010255 / 2991

How Essex PWS Compares

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

Metric Essex PWS Missouri avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 99 71.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 36 19.4 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 70.4% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 399 2,074 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 2,823 regulated public water systems in Missouri.

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 Essex PWS water safe to drink? ▼
Essex PWS (PWS ID: MO4010255) has 99 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 399 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Essex PWS serve? ▼
Essex PWS serves 399 people in Essex, Missouri. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 260 service connections.
What type of violations does Essex PWS have? ▼
Essex PWS has 99 total violations: 36 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 49 monitoring/reporting violations, and 19 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Essex PWS water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Essex PWS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Essex PWS use? ▼
Essex PWS uses Groundwater 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.
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.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

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.