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Community Water System · PWS NC0351189

Buffalo Creek S/D

Charlotte, North Carolina 28224 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 721 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

721
People served
73
EPA violations
10
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 73 drinking-water violations at Buffalo Creek S/D, 14% of them health-based - below the North Carolina per-system average.

73
Total EPA violations on record
14%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
721
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Buffalo Creek S/D

Buffalo Creek S/D is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 721 residents in Charlotte, North Carolina (Johnston County) through 284 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 73 total violations for this system , of which 10 (14%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 60 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2015.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 10 violations (MCL, 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%).

Buffalo Creek S/D's 73 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
721
Total Violations
73
Health-Based Violations
10
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
284
County
Johnston
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
10
Monitoring Violations
60
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 10 2015
Nitrate MR 6 2001
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 2010
TTHM MR 6 2010
Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 2010
Chromium MR 3 2000
Cadmium MR 3 2000
Barium MR 3 2000
Beryllium, Total MR 3 2000
Antimony, Total MR 3 2000
Selenium MR 3 2000
Public Notice Other 3 2007
Fluoride MR 3 2000
Nickel MR 3 2000
Mercury MR 3 2000
Thallium, Total MR 3 2000
CYANIDE MR 3 2000
Arsenic MR 3 2000
Nitrite MR 1 2000

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 Buffalo Creek 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 NC0351189 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 Buffalo Creek 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
2015 Coliform (TCR) MCL 10 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 3100
2010 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 2456
2010 TTHM MR 6 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 2950
2010 Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 5000
2007 Public Notice Other 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 7500
2001 Nitrate MR 6 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1040
2000 Chromium MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1020
2000 Cadmium MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1015
2000 Barium MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1010
2000 Beryllium, Total MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1075
2000 Antimony, Total MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1074
2000 Selenium MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1045
2000 Fluoride MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1025
2000 Nickel MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1036
2000 Mercury MR 3 SDWIS / NC0351189 / 1035

How Buffalo Creek S/D Compares

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

Metric Buffalo Creek S/D North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 73 104.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 10 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 721 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 Buffalo Creek S/D water safe to drink? ▼
Buffalo Creek S/D (PWS ID: NC0351189) has 73 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 721 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Buffalo Creek S/D serve? ▼
Buffalo Creek S/D serves 721 people in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 284 service connections.
What type of violations does Buffalo Creek S/D have? ▼
Buffalo Creek S/D has 73 total violations: 10 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 60 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Buffalo Creek S/D water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Buffalo Creek S/D under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Buffalo Creek S/D use? ▼
Buffalo Creek 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.
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.