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Community Water System · PWS RI1858430

Block Island Water Company

Block Island, Rhode Island 02807 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 9,999 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

9,999
People served
378
EPA violations
60
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 378 drinking-water violations at Block Island Water Company, 16% of them health-based - above the Rhode Island per-system average.

378
Total EPA violations on record
16%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
9,999
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Block Island Water Company

Block Island Water Company is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 9,999 residents in Block Island, Rhode Island (Washington County) through 338 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 378 total violations for this system , of which 60 (16%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 287 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is TTHM, recorded in 50 violations (MCL, health-based). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

Across Rhode Island, EPA tracks 463 public water systems serving 1,159,492 people, with 33,766 cumulative violations and 8,949 health-based violations on record. About 96% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 72.9 violations. Statewide, 15 of 29 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (51.7%).

Block Island Water Company's 378 violations sit above the Rhode Island 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
9,999
Total Violations
378
Health-Based Violations
60
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
338
County
Washington
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
60
Monitoring Violations
287
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MCL 50 1995
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 11 2023
Coliform (TCR) MCL 10 1991
Lead and Copper Rule MR 10 2000
Coliform (TCR) MR 10 1999
BHC-GAMMA MR 8 2023
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 8 2023
Simazine MR 8 2023
Atrazine MR 8 2023
HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 8 2023
Methoxychlor MR 8 2023
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 8 2023
LASSO MR 8 2023
Heptachlor MR 8 2023
Heptachlor epoxide MR 8 2023
Benzo(a)pyrene MR 8 2023
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 5 2003
TTHM MR 5 2015
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 5 2015
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 5 2017
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 5 2017
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 5 2017
Vinyl chloride MR 5 2017
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 5 2017
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 5 2017
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 5 2017
Carbon tetrachloride MR 5 2017
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 5 2017
Trichloroethylene MR 5 2017
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 5 2017

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 58 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFHxS 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 6/18/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 6/18/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 6/18/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 6/18/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 6/18/2024 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/18/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 6/18/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 6/18/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 6/18/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 6/18/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 6/18/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 6/18/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 6/18/2024 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 6/18/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/18/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 6/18/2024 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/18/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/18/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 12/17/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 12/17/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 12/17/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 12/17/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 12/17/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 12/17/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 12/17/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 12/17/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 12/17/2024 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 12/17/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 12/17/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 12/17/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 12/17/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 12/17/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected

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 Block Island Water Company.

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 RI1858430 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Rhode Island Drinking Water Authority

Rhode Island'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 RI 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
2023 Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 11 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2039
2023 BHC-GAMMA MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2010
2023 Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2035
2023 Simazine MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2037
2023 Atrazine MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2050
2023 HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2274
2023 Methoxychlor MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2015
2023 Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2042
2023 LASSO MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2051
2023 Heptachlor MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2065
2023 Heptachlor epoxide MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2067
2023 Benzo(a)pyrene MR 8 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2306
2018 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 5 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 8000
2017 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 5 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2378
2017 o-Dichlorobenzene MR 5 SDWIS / RI1858430 / 2968

How Block Island Water Company Compares

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

Metric Block Island Water Company Rhode Island avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 378 72.9 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 60 19.3 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 51.7% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 9,999 2,504 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 463 regulated public water systems in Rhode Island.

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 Block Island Water Company water safe to drink?
Block Island Water Company (PWS ID: RI1858430) has 378 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 9,999 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Block Island Water Company serve?
Block Island Water Company serves 9,999 people in Block Island, Rhode Island. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 338 service connections.
What type of violations does Block Island Water Company have?
Block Island Water Company has 378 total violations: 60 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 287 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Block Island Water Company water?
No. Block Island Water Company was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Block Island Water Company use?
Block Island Water Company 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. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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.