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Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS NC0201513

Southern Middle & High Schools

Graham, North Carolina 27253 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 2,337 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

2,337
People served
30
EPA violations
16
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 30 drinking-water violations at Southern Middle & High Schools, 53% of them health-based - below the North Carolina per-system average.

30
Total EPA violations on record
53%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
2,337
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Southern Middle & High Schools

Southern Middle & High Schools is a local-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,337 residents in Graham, North Carolina (Alamance County) through 5 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 30 total violations for this system , of which 16 (53%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 12 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2003.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 13 violations (TT, health-based). 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. Statewide, 174 of 287 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.6%).

Southern Middle & High Schools's 30 violations sit below the North Carolina average.

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
2,337
Total Violations
30
Health-Based Violations
16
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
5
County
Alamance
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
3
Monitoring Violations
12
Treatment Tech Violations
13

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule TT 13 2003
Coliform (TCR) MR 12 2002
Coliform (TCR) MCL 3 1996
Public Notice Other 2 2003

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 Southern Middle & High Schools.

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 NC0201513 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 Southern Middle & High Schools 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
2003 Lead and Copper Rule TT 13 SDWIS / NC0201513 / 5000
2003 Public Notice Other 2 SDWIS / NC0201513 / 7500
2002 Coliform (TCR) MR 12 SDWIS / NC0201513 / 3100
1996 Coliform (TCR) MCL 3 SDWIS / NC0201513 / 3100

How Southern Middle & High Schools Compares

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

Metric Southern Middle & High Schools North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 30 104.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 16 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 2,337 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 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Southern Middle & High Schools water safe to drink? ▼
Southern Middle & High Schools (PWS ID: NC0201513) has 30 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 2,337 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Southern Middle & High Schools serve? ▼
Southern Middle & High Schools serves 2,337 people in Graham, North Carolina. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 5 service connections.
What type of violations does Southern Middle & High Schools have? ▼
Southern Middle & High Schools has 30 total violations: 16 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 12 monitoring/reporting violations, and 13 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Southern Middle & High Schools water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Southern Middle & High Schools under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Southern Middle & High Schools use? ▼
Southern Middle & High Schools 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.
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.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.