PlainWater
States → North Carolina

COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM

PWS ID: NC0489010 · COLUMBIA, North Carolina 27925

COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM serves 891 people in COLUMBIA, North Carolina using Groundwater water sources. It has 208 recorded EPA violations, including 14 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM

COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 891 residents in COLUMBIA, North Carolina (Tyrrell County) through 499 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 208 total violations for this system , of which 14 (7%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 169 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2011.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is TTHM, recorded in 8 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. COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM's 208 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
891
Total Violations
208
Health-Based Violations
14
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
499
County
Tyrrell
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
14
Monitoring Violations
169
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MCL 8 2005
Coliform (TCR) MCL 6 1993
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 2003
Endrin MR 5 2011
BHC-GAMMA MR 5 2011
Methoxychlor MR 5 2011
Dalapon MR 5 2011
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 5 2011
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 5 2011
Carbofuran MR 5 2011
Heptachlor MR 5 2011
Heptachlor epoxide MR 5 2011
2,4-D MR 5 2011
2,4,5-TP MR 5 2011
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 5 2011
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 5 2011
Pentachlorophenol MR 5 2011
LASSO MR 5 2011
HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 5 2011
Picloram MR 5 2011
Benzo(a)pyrene MR 5 2011
Simazine MR 5 2011
Dinoseb MR 5 2011
Atrazine MR 5 2011
Chlordane MR 5 2011
OXAMYL MR 5 2011
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 5 2011
Toxaphene MR 5 2011
Mercury MR 4 1987
Barium MR 4 1987

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 COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM.

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 NC0489010 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 COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM 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
2011 Endrin MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2005
2011 BHC-GAMMA MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2010
2011 Methoxychlor MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2015
2011 Dalapon MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2031
2011 Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2035
2011 Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2042
2011 Carbofuran MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2046
2011 Heptachlor MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2065
2011 Heptachlor epoxide MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2067
2011 2,4-D MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2105
2011 2,4,5-TP MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2110
2011 Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2383
2011 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2931
2011 Pentachlorophenol MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2326
2011 LASSO MR 5 SDWIS / NC0489010 / 2051

How COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM Compares

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

Metric COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM North Carolina avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 208 104.4 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 891 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 COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM water safe to drink? ▼
COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM (PWS ID: NC0489010) has 208 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 891 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM serve? ▼
COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM serves 891 people in COLUMBIA, North Carolina. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 499 service connections.
What type of violations does COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM have? ▼
COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM has 208 total violations: 14 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 169 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM use? ▼
COLUMBIA WATER SYSTEM 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.

Explore PlainWater

Water in North Carolina

All systems in state
All States

Water quality by state
Contaminants

PFAS & other pollutants
Guides

Understanding water quality

Related Data for North Carolina

Environmental Data → Natural Hazards → Air Quality → Healthcare Access → Climate Data →
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.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by Kiznis Studio Editorial