PlainWater

HIGHLANDS COVE S/D

PWS ID: NC0150200 · CULLOWHEE, North Carolina 28723

HIGHLANDS COVE S/D serves 577 people in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina using Groundwater water sources. It has 61 recorded EPA violations, including 0 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: HIGHLANDS COVE S/D

HIGHLANDS COVE S/D is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 577 residents in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina (Jackson County) through 227 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 61 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 27 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 Consumer Confidence Rule, recorded in 21 violations (Other). 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. HIGHLANDS COVE S/D's 61 violations sit below 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
577
Total Violations
61
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
227
County
Jackson
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
27
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 21 2021
Public Notice Other 11 2016
Nitrate MR 8 2014
Coliform (TCR) MR 6 2004
Mercury MR 6 2020
Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 2006
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 3 2006

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 HIGHLANDS COVE 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 NC0150200 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 HIGHLANDS COVE 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 21 SDWIS / NC0150200 / 7000
2020 Mercury MR 6 SDWIS / NC0150200 / 1035
2016 Public Notice Other 11 SDWIS / NC0150200 / 7500
2014 Nitrate MR 8 SDWIS / NC0150200 / 1040
2006 Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 SDWIS / NC0150200 / 5000
2006 Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 3 SDWIS / NC0150200 / 2039
2004 Coliform (TCR) MR 6 SDWIS / NC0150200 / 3100

How HIGHLANDS COVE S/D Compares

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

Metric HIGHLANDS COVE S/D North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 61 104.4 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 0 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 577 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 HIGHLANDS COVE S/D water safe to drink?
HIGHLANDS COVE S/D (PWS ID: NC0150200) has 61 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 577 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does HIGHLANDS COVE S/D serve?
HIGHLANDS COVE S/D serves 577 people in CULLOWHEE, North Carolina. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 227 service connections.
What type of violations does HIGHLANDS COVE S/D have?
HIGHLANDS COVE S/D has 61 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 27 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in HIGHLANDS COVE S/D water?
No PFAS testing data is available for HIGHLANDS COVE S/D under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does HIGHLANDS COVE S/D use?
HIGHLANDS COVE 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.

Related

Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by Kiznis Studio Editorial