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COLUMBUS TOWN OF

PWS ID: NC0175015 · COLUMBUS, North Carolina 28722

COLUMBUS TOWN OF serves 2,489 people in COLUMBUS, North Carolina using Groundwater water sources. It has 481 recorded EPA violations, including 1 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: COLUMBUS TOWN OF

COLUMBUS TOWN OF is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,489 residents in COLUMBUS, North Carolina (Polk County) through 980 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 481 total violations for this system , of which 1 (0%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 414 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Nitrate, 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. COLUMBUS TOWN OF's 481 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
2,489
Total Violations
481
Health-Based Violations
1
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
980
County
Polk
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
414
Treatment Tech Violations
1

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Nitrate MR 25 2002
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 21 2025
Endrin MR 17 2020
Arsenic MR 16 2020
Lead and Copper Rule MR 13 2024
Public Notice Other 13 2024
Methoxychlor MR 10 2020
Dalapon MR 10 2020
Simazine MR 10 2020
Picloram MR 10 2020
Heptachlor MR 10 2020
Heptachlor epoxide MR 10 2020
2,4-D MR 10 2020
Benzo(a)pyrene MR 10 2020
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 10 2020
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE MR 10 2020
BHC-GAMMA MR 10 2020
Toxaphene MR 10 2020
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 10 2020
OXAMYL MR 10 2020
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 10 2020
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 10 2020
Carbofuran MR 10 2020
Pentachlorophenol MR 10 2020
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 10 2020
HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 10 2020
2,4,5-TP MR 10 2020
Atrazine MR 10 2020
Chlordane MR 10 2020
LASSO MR 10 2020

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 COLUMBUS TOWN OF.

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 NC0175015 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 COLUMBUS TOWN OF 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
2025 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 21 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 7000
2024 Lead and Copper Rule MR 13 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 5000
2024 Public Notice Other 13 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 7500
2024 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS RPT 1 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 5200
2024 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS TT 1 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 5200
2020 Endrin MR 17 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2005
2020 Arsenic MR 16 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 1005
2020 Methoxychlor MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2015
2020 Dalapon MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2031
2020 Simazine MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2037
2020 Picloram MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2040
2020 Heptachlor MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2065
2020 Heptachlor epoxide MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2067
2020 2,4-D MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2105
2020 Benzo(a)pyrene MR 10 SDWIS / NC0175015 / 2306

How COLUMBUS TOWN OF Compares

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

Metric COLUMBUS TOWN OF North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 481 104.4 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 1 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 2,489 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 COLUMBUS TOWN OF water safe to drink? ▼
COLUMBUS TOWN OF (PWS ID: NC0175015) has 481 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 2,489 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does COLUMBUS TOWN OF serve? ▼
COLUMBUS TOWN OF serves 2,489 people in COLUMBUS, North Carolina. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 980 service connections.
What type of violations does COLUMBUS TOWN OF have? ▼
COLUMBUS TOWN OF has 481 total violations: 1 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 414 monitoring/reporting violations, and 1 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in COLUMBUS TOWN OF water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for COLUMBUS TOWN OF under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does COLUMBUS TOWN OF use? ▼
COLUMBUS TOWN OF 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 Kiznis Studio Editorial