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SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PWS ID: NC0187548 · SYLVA, North Carolina 28779

SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE serves 50 people in SYLVA, North Carolina using Groundwater water sources. It has 145 recorded EPA violations, including 14 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE is a state-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 50 residents in SYLVA, North Carolina (Swain County) through 2 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 145 total violations for this system , of which 14 (10%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 123 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 Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 19 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. SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE's 145 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
50
Total Violations
145
Health-Based Violations
14
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
State
Connections
2
County
Swain
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
6
Monitoring Violations
123
Treatment Tech Violations
8

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 19 2019
Coliform (TCR) MR 9 2001
Coliform (TCR) MCL 6 1991
Lead and Copper Rule TT 6 2002
Chlorine MR 6 2004
Public Notice Other 4 2004
Heptachlor MR 3 1998
Atrazine MR 3 1998
Toxaphene MR 3 1998
Methoxychlor MR 3 1998
Endrin MR 3 1998
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 3 1998
HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 3 1998
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 3 1998
Dinoseb MR 3 1998
Chlordane MR 3 1998
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 3 1998
Nitrite MR 3 1999
Simazine MR 3 1998
Carbofuran MR 3 1998
OXAMYL MR 3 1998
Benzo(a)pyrene MR 3 1998
Picloram MR 3 1998
2,4,5-TP MR 3 1998
Dalapon MR 3 1998
Nitrate MR 3 1997
BHC-GAMMA MR 3 1998
2,4-D MR 3 1998
Heptachlor epoxide MR 3 1998
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE MR 3 1998

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 SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

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 NC0187548 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 SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 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 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS TT 2 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 5200
2024 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS RPT 2 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 5200
2019 Lead and Copper Rule MR 19 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 5000
2004 Chlorine MR 6 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 0999
2004 Public Notice Other 4 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 7500
2002 Lead and Copper Rule TT 6 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 5000
2001 Coliform (TCR) MR 9 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 3100
1999 Nitrite MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 1041
1998 Heptachlor MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 2065
1998 Atrazine MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 2050
1998 Toxaphene MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 2020
1998 Methoxychlor MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 2015
1998 Endrin MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 2005
1998 Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 2383
1998 HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 3 SDWIS / NC0187548 / 2274

How SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Compares

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

Metric SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 145 104.4 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 14 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 50 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 SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE water safe to drink?
SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE (PWS ID: NC0187548) has 145 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 50 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE serve?
SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE serves 50 people in SYLVA, North Carolina. It is a State-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 2 service connections.
What type of violations does SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE have?
SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE has 145 total violations: 14 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 123 monitoring/reporting violations, and 8 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE water?
No PFAS testing data is available for SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE use?
SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.
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.

Explore PlainWater

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 PlainWater Editorial