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Community Water System · PWS TN0000290

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, Tennessee 37752 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 1,600 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

1,600
People served
168
EPA violations
0
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 168 drinking-water violations at Lincoln Memorial University - above the Tennessee per-system average.

168
Total EPA violations on record
0%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
1,600
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Lincoln Memorial University

Lincoln Memorial University is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,600 residents in Harrogate, Tennessee (Claiborne County) through 42 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 168 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 161 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 E. COLI, recorded in 104 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 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%).

Lincoln Memorial University's 168 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
1,600
Total Violations
168
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
42
County
Claiborne
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
161
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
E. COLI MR 104 2011
Coliform (TCR) MR 10 2011
TTHM MR 8 2011
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 8 2011
Nitrate MR 6 2011
Chlorine MR 5 2011
Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 1993
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 4 2023
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 2007
Chromium MR 2 1999
Cadmium MR 2 1999
Barium MR 2 1999
Selenium MR 2 1999
Mercury MR 1 1981
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 1 1980
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule Other 1 2012
Fluoride MR 1 1981
Arsenic MR 1 1981

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 Lincoln Memorial University.

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 TN0000290 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 Lincoln Memorial University 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
2023 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 4 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 7000
2012 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule Other 1 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 0300
2011 E. COLI MR 104 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 3014
2011 Coliform (TCR) MR 10 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 3100
2011 TTHM MR 8 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 2950
2011 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 8 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 2456
2011 Nitrate MR 6 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 1040
2011 Chlorine MR 5 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 0999
2007 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 0300
1999 Chromium MR 2 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 1020
1999 Cadmium MR 2 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 1015
1999 Barium MR 2 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 1010
1999 Selenium MR 2 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 1045
1993 Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 5000
1981 Mercury MR 1 SDWIS / TN0000290 / 1035

How Lincoln Memorial University Compares

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

Metric Lincoln Memorial University Tennessee avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 168 56.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 0 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 1,600 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 Lincoln Memorial University water safe to drink? ▼
Lincoln Memorial University (PWS ID: TN0000290) has 168 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,600 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Lincoln Memorial University serve? ▼
Lincoln Memorial University serves 1,600 people in Harrogate, Tennessee. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 42 service connections.
What type of violations does Lincoln Memorial University have? ▼
Lincoln Memorial University has 168 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 161 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Lincoln Memorial University water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Lincoln Memorial University under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Lincoln Memorial University use? ▼
Lincoln Memorial University 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. 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.