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States → North Carolina

COLD SPRINGS POA

PWS ID: NC0157138 · HIGHLANDS, North Carolina 28741

COLD SPRINGS POA serves 165 people in HIGHLANDS, North Carolina using Groundwater water sources. It has 193 recorded EPA violations, including 0 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: COLD SPRINGS POA

COLD SPRINGS POA is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 165 residents in HIGHLANDS, North Carolina (Macon County) through 65 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 193 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 171 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 20 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. COLD SPRINGS POA's 193 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
165
Total Violations
193
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
65
County
Macon
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
171
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 20 2004
Arsenic MR 15 1991
Lead and Copper Rule MR 14 2018
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 13 2024
Selenium MR 10 1991
Mercury MR 10 1991
Chromium MR 10 1991
Barium MR 10 1991
Fluoride MR 10 1991
Cadmium MR 10 1991
Nickel MR 8 1991
CYANIDE MR 8 1991
Antimony, Total MR 8 1991
Beryllium, Total MR 8 1991
Thallium, Total MR 8 1991
Nitrate MR 5 1999
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 5 2015
TTHM MR 5 2015
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 4 1988
Public Notice Other 4 2004
Chlorine MR 3 2004

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 COLD SPRINGS POA.

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 NC0157138 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 COLD SPRINGS POA 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
2024 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 13 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 7000
2018 Lead and Copper Rule MR 14 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 5000
2015 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 5 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 2456
2015 TTHM MR 5 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 2950
2004 Coliform (TCR) MR 20 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 3100
2004 Public Notice Other 4 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 7500
2004 Chlorine MR 3 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 0999
1999 Nitrate MR 5 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1040
1991 Arsenic MR 15 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1005
1991 Selenium MR 10 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1045
1991 Mercury MR 10 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1035
1991 Chromium MR 10 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1020
1991 Barium MR 10 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1010
1991 Fluoride MR 10 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1025
1991 Cadmium MR 10 SDWIS / NC0157138 / 1015

How COLD SPRINGS POA Compares

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

Metric COLD SPRINGS POA North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 193 104.4 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 165 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 COLD SPRINGS POA water safe to drink? ▼
COLD SPRINGS POA (PWS ID: NC0157138) has 193 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 165 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does COLD SPRINGS POA serve? ▼
COLD SPRINGS POA serves 165 people in HIGHLANDS, North Carolina. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 65 service connections.
What type of violations does COLD SPRINGS POA have? ▼
COLD SPRINGS POA has 193 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 171 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in COLD SPRINGS POA water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for COLD SPRINGS POA under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does COLD SPRINGS POA use? ▼
COLD SPRINGS POA 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