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SANTEETLAH SHORES

PWS ID: NC0138103 · CULLOWHEE, North Carolina 28723

SANTEETLAH SHORES serves 58 people in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina using Groundwater water sources. It has 446 recorded EPA violations, including 11 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: SANTEETLAH SHORES

SANTEETLAH SHORES is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 58 residents in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina (Graham County) through 27 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 446 total violations for this system , of which 11 (2%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 363 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 25 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 North Carolina, EPA tracks 5,020 public water systems serving 9,877,724 people, with 524,053 cumulative violations and 38,492 health-based violations on record. About 93% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 104.4 violations. SANTEETLAH SHORES's 446 violations sit above the North Carolina average. Statewide, 174 of 287 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.6%). 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
58
Total Violations
446
Health-Based Violations
11
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
27
County
Graham
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
363
Treatment Tech Violations
11

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 25 2011
Nitrate MR 23 2001
Coliform (TCR) MR 17 1999
Selenium MR 15 2000
Mercury MR 15 2000
Arsenic MR 15 2000
Fluoride MR 15 2000
Chromium MR 15 2000
Barium MR 15 2000
Cadmium MR 15 2000
Public Notice Other 12 2011
Lead and Copper Rule TT 11 2011
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 9 1999
Beryllium, Total MR 6 2000
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 2021
Antimony, Total MR 6 2000
CYANIDE MR 6 2000
Thallium, Total MR 6 2000
Nickel MR 6 2000
Asbestos MR 5 2011
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 3 2000
Xylenes, Total MR 3 2000
Tetrachloroethylene MR 3 2000
Trichloroethylene MR 3 2000
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 3 2000
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 3 2000
Dalapon MR 3 2000
OXAMYL MR 3 2000
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 3 2000
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 3 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 SANTEETLAH SHORES.

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 NC0138103 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

North Carolina Drinking Water Authority

North Carolina DEQ — Public Water Supply Section is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects SANTEETLAH SHORES under EPA-delegated authority.

Open NC regulator portal

Source: North Carolina DEQ — Public Water Supply Section

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
2023 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 1 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 2456
2023 TTHM MR 1 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 2950
2021 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 7000
2011 Lead and Copper Rule MR 25 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 5000
2011 Public Notice Other 12 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 7500
2011 Lead and Copper Rule TT 11 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 5000
2011 Asbestos MR 5 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1094
2001 Nitrate MR 23 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1040
2000 Selenium MR 15 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1045
2000 Mercury MR 15 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1035
2000 Arsenic MR 15 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1005
2000 Fluoride MR 15 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1025
2000 Chromium MR 15 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1020
2000 Barium MR 15 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1010
2000 Cadmium MR 15 SDWIS / NC0138103 / 1015

How SANTEETLAH SHORES Compares

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

Metric SANTEETLAH SHORES North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 446 104.4 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 11 7.7 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 60.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 58 1,968 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 5,020 regulated public water systems in North Carolina.

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 SANTEETLAH SHORES water safe to drink? ▼
SANTEETLAH SHORES (PWS ID: NC0138103) has 446 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 58 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does SANTEETLAH SHORES serve? ▼
SANTEETLAH SHORES serves 58 people in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 27 service connections.
What type of violations does SANTEETLAH SHORES have? ▼
SANTEETLAH SHORES has 446 total violations: 11 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 363 monitoring/reporting violations, and 11 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in SANTEETLAH SHORES water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for SANTEETLAH SHORES under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does SANTEETLAH SHORES use? ▼
SANTEETLAH SHORES 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.

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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.

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