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States → Navajo Nation

Community Water System · PWS NN4903018

Montezuma Creek NTUA

Ft Defiance, Navajo Nation 86504 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 424 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

424
People served
130
EPA violations
42
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 130 drinking-water violations at Montezuma Creek NTUA, 32% of them health-based - below the Navajo Nation per-system average.

130
Total EPA violations on record
32%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
424
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Montezuma Creek NTUA

Montezuma Creek NTUA is a native american-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 424 residents in Ft Defiance, Navajo Nation through 124 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 130 total violations for this system , of which 42 (32%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 71 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2022.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Arsenic, recorded in 39 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 Navajo Nation, EPA tracks 170 public water systems serving 167,275 people, with 29,535 cumulative violations and 1,366 health-based violations on record. About 100% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 173.7 violations. Statewide, 13 of 13 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (100%).

Montezuma Creek NTUA's 130 violations sit below the Navajo Nation 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
424
Total Violations
130
Health-Based Violations
42
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Native American
Connections
124
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
42
Monitoring Violations
71
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Arsenic MCL 39 2015
Arsenic MR 9 2022
Coliform (TCR) MR 7 2015
Fluoride MR 6 2011
Public Notice Other 4 2015
Barium MR 3 2008
Cadmium MR 3 2008
Chromium MR 3 2008
CYANIDE MR 3 2008
Mercury MR 3 2008
Diquat MR 3 2008
Endothall MR 3 2008
2,3,7,8-TCDD MR 3 2008
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE MR 3 2008
Coliform (TCR) MCL 3 2011
Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 3 2013
Glyphosate MR 3 2008
Selenium MR 3 2008
Beryllium, Total MR 3 2008
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 3 2008
Thallium, Total MR 3 2008
Dalapon MR 3 2008
Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 2 2016
Nitrite MR 1 2010

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 Montezuma Creek NTUA.

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 NN4903018 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Navajo Nation Drinking Water Authority

Navajo Nation'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 NN regulator via EPA SDWIS

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
2022 Arsenic MR 9 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1005
2016 Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 2 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 8000
2015 Arsenic MCL 39 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1005
2015 Coliform (TCR) MR 7 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 3100
2015 Public Notice Other 4 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 7500
2013 Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 0600
2011 Fluoride MR 6 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1025
2011 Coliform (TCR) MCL 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 3100
2010 Nitrite MR 1 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1041
2008 Barium MR 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1010
2008 Cadmium MR 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1015
2008 Chromium MR 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1020
2008 CYANIDE MR 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1024
2008 Mercury MR 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 1035
2008 Diquat MR 3 SDWIS / NN4903018 / 2032

How Montezuma Creek NTUA Compares

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

Metric Montezuma Creek NTUA Navajo Nation avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 130 173.7 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 42 8 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 100% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 424 984 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 170 regulated public water systems in Navajo Nation.

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 Montezuma Creek NTUA water safe to drink? ▼
Montezuma Creek NTUA (PWS ID: NN4903018) has 130 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 424 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Montezuma Creek NTUA serve? ▼
Montezuma Creek NTUA serves 424 people in Ft Defiance, Navajo Nation. It is a Native American-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 124 service connections.
What type of violations does Montezuma Creek NTUA have? ▼
Montezuma Creek NTUA has 130 total violations: 42 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 71 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Montezuma Creek NTUA water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Montezuma Creek NTUA under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Montezuma Creek NTUA use? ▼
Montezuma Creek NTUA 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.