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Community Water System · PWS TN0000183

Decatur Water Dept

Decatur, Tennessee 37322 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 6,451 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

6,451
People served
151
EPA violations
141
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 151 drinking-water violations at Decatur Water Dept, 93% of them health-based - above the Tennessee per-system average.

151
Total EPA violations on record
93%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
6,451
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Decatur Water Dept

Decatur Water Dept is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 6,451 residents in Decatur, Tennessee (Meigs County) through 2,699 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 151 total violations for this system , of which 141 (93%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 1 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 1997.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 141 violations (TT, 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 Tennessee, EPA tracks 762 public water systems serving 7,934,203 people, with 43,318 cumulative violations and 9,414 health-based violations on record. About 94% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 56.8 violations. Statewide, 93 of 277 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (33.6%).

Decatur Water Dept's 151 violations sit above the Tennessee 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
6,451
Total Violations
151
Health-Based Violations
141
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
2,699
County
Meigs
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
1
Treatment Tech Violations
141

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 141 1997
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 1980

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 116 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFUnA 8/21/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/21/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/21/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 8/21/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 8/21/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/21/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/21/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 8/21/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/21/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 8/21/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/21/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/21/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 8/21/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/21/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/21/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/21/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/21/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 8/21/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 5/15/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 5/15/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 5/15/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 5/15/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 5/15/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 5/15/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 5/15/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 5/15/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 5/15/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 5/15/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 5/15/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 5/15/2023 <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 Decatur Water Dept.

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 TN0000183 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Tennessee Drinking Water Authority

Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Decatur Water Dept under EPA-delegated authority.

Open TN regulator portal

Source: Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, Drinking Water

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
1997 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 141 SDWIS / TN0000183 / 0200
1980 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 SDWIS / TN0000183 / 4000

How Decatur Water Dept Compares

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

Metric Decatur Water Dept Tennessee avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 151 56.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 141 12.4 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 33.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 6,451 10,412 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 762 regulated public water systems in Tennessee.

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 Decatur Water Dept water safe to drink? ▼
Decatur Water Dept (PWS ID: TN0000183) has 151 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 6,451 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Decatur Water Dept serve? ▼
Decatur Water Dept serves 6,451 people in Decatur, Tennessee. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 2,699 service connections.
What type of violations does Decatur Water Dept have? ▼
Decatur Water Dept has 151 total violations: 141 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 1 monitoring/reporting violations, and 141 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Decatur Water Dept water? ▼
No. Decatur Water Dept was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Decatur Water Dept use? ▼
Decatur Water Dept uses Surface Water 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.

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.