Community Water System · PWS MS0680008
Paynes Water Association
Charleston, Mississippi 38921 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 531 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 531
- People served
- 392
- EPA violations
- 9
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 392 drinking-water violations at Paynes Water Association, 2% of them health-based - below the Mississippi per-system average.
- 392
- Total EPA violations on record
- 2%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 531
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Paynes Water Association
Paynes Water Association is a public/private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 531 residents in Charleston, Mississippi (Tallahatchie County) through 201 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 392 total violations for this system , of which 9 (2%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 373 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2020.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Combined Uranium, recorded in 82 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 Mississippi, EPA tracks 1,185 public water systems serving 3,286,781 people, with 499,292 cumulative violations and 10,292 health-based violations on record. About 96% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 421.3 violations. Statewide, 160 of 238 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (67.2%).
Paynes Water Association's 392 violations sit below the Mississippi 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
- Public/Private
- Connections
- 201
- County
- Tallahatchie
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 9
- Monitoring Violations
- 373
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined Uranium | MR | 82 | 2012 |
| Radium-226 | MR | 58 | 2012 |
| Radium-228 | MR | 58 | 2012 |
| Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | MR | 28 | 2008 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U | MR | 28 | 2008 |
| Chlorine | MR | 24 | 2020 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 16 | 2015 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 16 | 2020 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 9 | 2015 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 4 | 2009 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Vinyl chloride | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Toluene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Ethylbenzene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Styrene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Trichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Benzene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Xylenes, Total | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
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 Paynes Water Association.
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 MS0680008 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Mississippi Drinking Water Authority
Mississippi'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 MS regulator via EPA SDWISViolation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Chlorine | MR | 24 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 0999 |
| 2020 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 16 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 8000 |
| 2015 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 16 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 3100 |
| 2015 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 9 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 3100 |
| 2014 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2378 |
| 2014 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2380 |
| 2014 | DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2964 |
| 2014 | Vinyl chloride | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2976 |
| 2014 | 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2980 |
| 2014 | 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2981 |
| 2014 | Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2982 |
| 2014 | 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2983 |
| 2014 | 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2985 |
| 2014 | Toluene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2991 |
| 2014 | Ethylbenzene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / MS0680008 / 2992 |
How Paynes Water Association Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Paynes Water Association | Mississippi avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 392 | 421.3 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 9 | 8.7 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 67.2% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 531 | 2,774 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,185 regulated public water systems in Mississippi.
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 Paynes Water Association water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Paynes Water Association serve? ▼
What type of violations does Paynes Water Association have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Paynes Water Association water? ▼
What water source does Paynes Water Association 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.