Community Water System · PWS NV0000042
Empire Mining Company
Gerlach, Nevada 89412 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 350 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 350
- People served
- 306
- EPA violations
- 0
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 306 drinking-water violations at Empire Mining Company - above the Nevada per-system average.
- 306
- Total EPA violations on record
- 0%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 350
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Empire Mining Company
Empire Mining Company is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 350 residents in Gerlach, Nevada (Washoe County) through 127 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 306 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 289 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 26 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 Nevada, EPA tracks 589 public water systems serving 3,455,285 people, with 56,333 cumulative violations and 6,657 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 95.6 violations. Statewide, 50 of 57 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (87.7%).
Empire Mining Company's 306 violations sit above the Nevada 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
- Community
- Owner Type
- Private
- Connections
- 127
- County
- Washoe
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 0
- Monitoring Violations
- 289
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 26 | 2024 |
| Chlorine | MR | 25 | 2023 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 19 | 2023 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 16 | 2024 |
| TTHM | MR | 16 | 2024 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 10 | 2008 |
| Nitrate | MR | 6 | 2016 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 6 | 2021 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | RPT | 6 | 2023 |
| Nickel | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Antimony, Total | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Thallium, Total | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Methoxychlor | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Diquat | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Endothall | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Glyphosate | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Picloram | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Dinoseb | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Carbofuran | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Atrazine | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| LASSO | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Heptachlor | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| HEXACHLOROBENZENE | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Pentachlorophenol | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 2016 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 3 | 2016 |
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 Empire Mining Company.
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 NV0000042 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Nevada Drinking Water Authority
Nevada'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 NV 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 26 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 5000 |
| 2024 | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 16 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2456 |
| 2024 | TTHM | MR | 16 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2950 |
| 2023 | Chlorine | MR | 25 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 0999 |
| 2023 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 19 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 8000 |
| 2023 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | RPT | 6 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 8000 |
| 2022 | E. COLI | MR | 3 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 3014 |
| 2021 | Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 6 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 7000 |
| 2016 | Nitrate | MR | 6 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 1040 |
| 2016 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2378 |
| 2016 | DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 3 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2964 |
| 2016 | o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2968 |
| 2016 | p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2969 |
| 2016 | Vinyl chloride | MR | 3 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2976 |
| 2016 | 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | SDWIS / NV0000042 / 2977 |
How Empire Mining Company Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Empire Mining Company | Nevada avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 306 | 95.6 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 0 | 11.3 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 87.7% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 350 | 5,866 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 589 regulated public water systems in Nevada.
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 Empire Mining Company water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Empire Mining Company serve? ▼
What type of violations does Empire Mining Company have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Empire Mining Company water? ▼
What water source does Empire Mining Company 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.