Is Ruch Elementary SD 549 water safe to drink?

Ruch Elementary SD 549 (PWS ID: OR4191508) has 8 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 8 PFAS compounds found. EPA SDWIS lists this system's service population as 200 people using Groundwater sources.

How many people does Ruch Elementary SD 549 serve?

EPA SDWIS reports that Ruch Elementary SD 549 serves 200 people (this public water system's service population, not the municipal population of Medford or any other city). It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 2 service connections. The operator address is listed in Medford, Oregon.

What type of violations does Ruch Elementary SD 549 have?

Ruch Elementary SD 549 has 8 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 8 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.

Has PFAS been detected in Ruch Elementary SD 549 water?

Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 8 PFAS compounds in Ruch Elementary SD 549's water supply: PFHxA, PFOA, PFHxS, PFBS, PFHpA, and others. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.

What water source does Ruch Elementary SD 549 use?

Ruch Elementary SD 549 uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.

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.

How does Ruch Elementary SD 549's violation count compare nationally?

Ruch Elementary SD 549 has 8 recorded EPA SDWIS violations, fewer than 83% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500 or more people nationwide (the same sitemap cohort used for the corpus-placement ranking above). 15% of that cohort has fewer violations than Ruch Elementary SD 549. A system can have zero recorded violations and still be actively monitored, and a high violation count often reflects a system that reports thoroughly, not necessarily one with worse water.

States → Oregon

Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS OR4191508

Ruch Elementary SD 549

Operator location Medford, Oregon - 0% of 8 violations are health-based (lower-third health share (≤ 1%)); groundwater source; 200 served per SDWIS.

Compiled by PlainWater · May 15, 2026

200
People served (this PWS) Smaller third of systems: 8
EPA violations (this PWS) Lower third of systems: 0
Health-based (this PWS) Lower third by health-based share: 8 PFAS
UCMR5 (this PWS) Upper third of PFAS-detected systems

Follow published updates (RSS)

Ruch Elementary SD 549 standing, low SDWIS violation third

0% of 8 recorded violations are health-based - lower-third health share (≤ 1%). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 0% is lower-third health share (≤ 1%). UCMR5: upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds).

The verdict

Ruch Elementary SD 549 is in the lower third by violation count (8; lower-third violation load (≤ 21 violations)). A low count does not mean the system is unmonitored - monitoring and reporting violations still appear in SDWIS. Population served is smaller (200; smaller served population (≤ 999)), so each violation row represents a compact service footprint. Health-based share is only 0% - almost all of this trail is monitoring or reporting. UCMR5 detected 8 PFAS compounds (upper-third PFAS panel (> 4 compounds)).

8
Total EPA violations on record: 0%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure): 200
People served by this PWS (SDWIS): 8
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.

PFAS Detected

8 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Water Safety Score

59/100

Ruch Elementary SD 549

Based on EPA SDWIS violation history and UCMR5 PFAS testing only, not water taste, odor, infrastructure age, or contaminants outside the federally tracked set.

Health-based violations A+

EPA SDWIS health-based violations on record (MCL, MRDL, treatment technique)

Monitoring & reporting violations B-

Non-health SDWIS violations (monitoring, reporting, and other compliance)

PFAS contamination F

0.0334 µg/L

Highest PFAS compound level detected in UCMR5 testing

System Details

System Type: Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type: Local
Connections: 2
County: Jackson
School/Daycare: Yes
MCL Violations: 0
Monitoring Violations: 8
Treatment Tech Violations: 0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant	Category	Count	Latest
Coliform (TCR)	MR	4	2012
Lead and Copper Rule	MR	3	1994
Arsenic	MR	1	2005

Violation Count vs. the National Corpus

Ruch Elementary SD 549 has 8 recorded EPA violations, 15% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 83% carry more. 0% of this system's own violations are health-based (0 of 8), and it ranks unranked by population served among that same cohort.

EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus

Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)

8 Among the lowest violation counts fewer violations than 83% of 29,740 water systems

the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15

How many violations vs. how serious, among peer systems

Ruch Elementary SD 549 plotted against 29 peer public water systems (500+ people served), by total violation count (x) and the share of those violations that are health-based (y). The crosshair sits at this sample's own median on each axis. A high violation count does not automatically mean a serious record: most monitoring and reporting violations are minor, not health-based.

30 public water systems (500+ people served), EPA SDWIS current release.

How to read this

Each dot is one public water system; the highlighted dot is Ruch Elementary SD 549. A system to the right has more recorded violations; a system higher up has a larger share of those violations classified health-based rather than monitoring or reporting.

Rare but serious: few violations, but most of them are health-based.
Frequent, mostly paperwork: many violations, but mostly monitoring or reporting, not health-based.
Clean record: below-median on both counts, the tinted corner.

View all 30 systems as a list

City of Ballinger: 372 violations, 85% health-based
Nooksack Valley Water Association: 16 violations, 31% health-based
Montgomery Co RWD 12: 7 violations, 29% health-based
Irvin Water District #6: 11 violations, 27% health-based
Ticonderoga WD: 47 violations, 26% health-based
Pine Valley Plantation: 37 violations, 24% health-based
McLouth, City Of: 29 violations, 17% health-based
Kipling Oaks 1: 25 violations, 16% health-based
South Deerfield Water Supply District: 96 violations, 16% health-based
Sunset Ridge Water District: 82 violations, 15% health-based
Orange Water Dept: 136 violations, 14% health-based
Mount Pleasant Water Sys #1: 167 violations, 11% health-based
Lake Gibson Estates: 42 violations, 2% health-based
Benson Culinary Improvement District: 212 violations, 1% health-based
Conemaugh Twp Muni Auth: 567 violations, 1% health-based
Miccosukee Service Plaza: 0 violations, 0% health-based
Brazoria - Fort Bend Counties MUD 3: 0 violations, 0% health-based
Tanglewilde Thompson Place 600: 2 violations, 0% health-based
Center Water Co: 5 violations, 0% health-based
Spring Mills Elem School/Hvs: 9 violations, 0% health-based
Great Bend Industrial Park: 14 violations, 0% health-based
Glen Park Village: 19 violations, 0% health-based
Camp Is-Sho-Da: 22 violations, 0% health-based
Hamilton: 33 violations, 0% health-based
Town of Welaka: 54 violations, 0% health-based
Township of Blairstown Dpw: 61 violations, 0% health-based
McIntosh Water & Fire Pro Authority: 71 violations, 0% health-based
Clarkdale Municipal Water System: 114 violations, 0% health-based
Eureka Water Association: 273 violations, 0% health-based
Ruch Elementary SD 549: 8 violations, 0% health-based (this system)

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 16 of 58 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant	Date	Result	MRL	Status
PFUnA	6/17/2024	<2.00 ppt	2.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHxA	6/17/2024	13.90 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
PFDoA	6/17/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFOA	6/17/2024	9.20 ppt	4.00 ppt	Detected
PFNA	6/17/2024	<4.00 ppt	4.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHxS	6/17/2024	33.40 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS	6/17/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFBS	6/17/2024	14.80 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
PFDA	6/17/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFTrDA	6/17/2024	<7.00 ppt	7.00 ppt	Not Detected
NEtFOSAA	6/17/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFTA	6/17/2024	<8.00 ppt	8.00 ppt	Not Detected
NMeFOSAA	6/17/2024	<6.00 ppt	6.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHpA	6/17/2024	3.70 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
NFDHA	6/17/2024	<20.00 ppt	20.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFOS	6/17/2024	10.60 ppt	4.00 ppt	Detected
PFPeS	6/17/2024	9.80 ppt	4.00 ppt	Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS	6/17/2024	<2.00 ppt	2.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFEESA	6/17/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFMBA	6/17/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFPeA	6/17/2024	11.80 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
PFMPA	6/17/2024	<4.00 ppt	4.00 ppt	Not Detected
4:2 FTS	6/17/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
6:2 FTS	6/17/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFBA	6/17/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
HFPO-DA	6/17/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
ADONA	6/17/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
8:2 FTS	6/17/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHpS	6/17/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHpA	12/16/2024	3.70 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
ADONA	12/16/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS	12/16/2024	<2.00 ppt	2.00 ppt	Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS	12/16/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFUnA	12/16/2024	<2.00 ppt	2.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHxA	12/16/2024	13.60 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
PFDoA	12/16/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFDA	12/16/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHxS	12/16/2024	27.70 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
PFBS	12/16/2024	11.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Detected
NMeFOSAA	12/16/2024	<6.00 ppt	6.00 ppt	Not Detected
HFPO-DA	12/16/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFOS	12/16/2024	8.90 ppt	4.00 ppt	Detected
PFEESA	12/16/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFNA	12/16/2024	<4.00 ppt	4.00 ppt	Not Detected
NEtFOSAA	12/16/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFTA	12/16/2024	<8.00 ppt	8.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFHpS	12/16/2024	<3.00 ppt	3.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFTrDA	12/16/2024	<7.00 ppt	7.00 ppt	Not Detected
NFDHA	12/16/2024	<20.00 ppt	20.00 ppt	Not Detected
PFBA	12/16/2024	<5.00 ppt	5.00 ppt	Not Detected

Health-based violations on Ruch Elementary SD 549

0 health-based rows in the tables above map to MCL or treatment-technique exceedances, verify each contaminant code on the federal SDWIS report for OR4191508.

EPA SDWIS · PWS OR4191508

Sources: EPA SDWIS

Nationwide peers

8 violations · 200 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.

Cross-state systems with similarly light violation ledgers

Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.

4 peers

What to do with Ruch Elementary SD 549

Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.

See how every tracked system in Oregon compares on the same EPA violation measures. Oregon systems
Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems

EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater

Compiled by PlainWater, Drinking Water Quality Editorial Process · May 15, 2026

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.