Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS NM3593221
Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water)
Los Ojos, New Mexico 87551 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 150 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 150
- People served
- 140
- EPA violations
- 51
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 140 drinking-water violations at Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water), 36% of them health-based - below the New Mexico per-system average.
- 140
- Total EPA violations on record
- 36%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 150
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water)
Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) is a state-owned transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 150 residents in Los Ojos, New Mexico (Rio Arriba County) through 1 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 140 total violations for this system , of which 51 (36%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 72 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 Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 41 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 New Mexico, EPA tracks 1,037 public water systems serving 2,027,497 people, with 154,522 cumulative violations and 38,650 health-based violations on record. About 97% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 149 violations. Statewide, 70 of 72 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (97.2%).
Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water)'s 140 violations sit below the New Mexico average.
All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.
System Details
- System Type
- Transient Non-Community
- Owner Type
- State
- Connections
- 1
- County
- Rio Arriba
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 4
- Monitoring Violations
- 72
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 47
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 41 | 2025 |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 22 | 2025 |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 17 | 2024 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 16 | 2017 |
| Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 14 | 2025 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 5 | 1992 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | 2014 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Other | 4 | 2016 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 4 | 2020 |
| Public Notice | Other | 3 | 2021 |
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 Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water).
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 NM3593221 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
New Mexico Drinking Water Authority
New Mexico's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.
Find NM regulator via EPA SDWISViolation 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 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 41 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 0200 |
| 2025 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 22 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 0300 |
| 2025 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 14 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 0800 |
| 2024 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 17 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 0300 |
| 2021 | Public Notice | Other | 3 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 7500 |
| 2020 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 4 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 8000 |
| 2017 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 16 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 0200 |
| 2016 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | Other | 4 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 8000 |
| 2014 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 3100 |
| 1992 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 5 | SDWIS / NM3593221 / 3100 |
How Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) | New Mexico avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 140 | 149 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 51 | 37.3 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 97.2% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 150 | 1,955 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,037 regulated public water systems in New Mexico.
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 Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) serve? ▼
What type of violations does Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) water? ▼
What water source does Heron Lake State Park (Surface Water) use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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.