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BIG RIDGE S/D

PWS ID: NC0150170 · CULLOWHEE, North Carolina 28723

BIG RIDGE S/D serves 76 people in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina using Groundwater water sources. It has 475 recorded EPA violations, including 23 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: BIG RIDGE S/D

BIG RIDGE S/D is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 76 residents in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina (Jackson County) through 30 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 475 total violations for this system , of which 23 (5%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 415 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2021.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 21 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. BIG RIDGE S/D's 475 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
76
Total Violations
475
Health-Based Violations
23
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
30
County
Jackson
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
4
Monitoring Violations
415
Treatment Tech Violations
19

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 21 2007
Lead and Copper Rule TT 19 2009
Coliform (TCR) MR 17 2004
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 16 2013
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 16 2013
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 16 2013
Vinyl chloride MR 16 2013
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 16 2013
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 16 2013
Carbon tetrachloride MR 16 2013
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 16 2013
Benzene MR 16 2013
Toluene MR 16 2013
Ethylbenzene MR 16 2013
Styrene MR 16 2013
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 16 2013
Xylenes, Total MR 16 2013
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 16 2013
Trichloroethylene MR 16 2013
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 16 2013
Tetrachloroethylene MR 16 2013
CHLOROBENZENE MR 16 2013
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 16 2013
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 16 2013
Public Notice Other 8 2010
Nitrate MR 7 1997
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 2021
Chlorine MR 6 2004
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 4 1988
Coliform (TCR) MCL 4 2002

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 BIG RIDGE S/D.

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 NC0150170 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 BIG RIDGE S/D 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
2021 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 7000
2013 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2378
2013 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2964
2013 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2969
2013 Vinyl chloride MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2976
2013 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2979
2013 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2980
2013 Carbon tetrachloride MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2982
2013 1,2-Dichloropropane MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2983
2013 Benzene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2990
2013 Toluene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2991
2013 Ethylbenzene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2992
2013 Styrene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2996
2013 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2380
2013 Xylenes, Total MR 16 SDWIS / NC0150170 / 2955

How BIG RIDGE S/D Compares

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

Metric BIG RIDGE S/D North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 475 104.4 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 23 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 76 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 BIG RIDGE S/D water safe to drink? ▼
BIG RIDGE S/D (PWS ID: NC0150170) has 475 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 76 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does BIG RIDGE S/D serve? ▼
BIG RIDGE S/D serves 76 people in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 30 service connections.
What type of violations does BIG RIDGE S/D have? ▼
BIG RIDGE S/D has 475 total violations: 23 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 415 monitoring/reporting violations, and 19 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in BIG RIDGE S/D water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for BIG RIDGE S/D under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does BIG RIDGE S/D use? ▼
BIG RIDGE S/D 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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Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial