Community Water System · PWS TN0000541
Parsons Water Department
Parsons, Tennessee 38363 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 4,303 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 4,303
- People served
- 38
- EPA violations
- 4
- Health-based
- 5 PFAS
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 38 drinking-water violations at Parsons Water Department, 11% of them health-based - below the Tennessee per-system average, and UCMR5 testing detected 5 PFAS compounds.
- 38
- Total EPA violations on record
- 11%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 4,303
- People served by this system
- 5
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Parsons Water Department
Parsons Water Department is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 4,303 residents in Parsons, Tennessee (Decatur County) through 1,742 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 38 total violations for this system , of which 4 (11%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 31 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2014.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), recorded in 10 violations (MR). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 5 PFAS compounds were detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 13 ppt (parts per trillion). PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.
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%).
Parsons Water Department's 38 violations sit below 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.
5 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 1,742
- County
- Decatur
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 0
- Monitoring Violations
- 31
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 4
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 10 | 2007 |
| TTHM | MR | 10 | 2007 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 7 | 2014 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 4 | 2000 |
| Chlorine | MR | 2 | 2012 |
| Atrazine | MR | 2 | 2000 |
PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)
Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 16 of 116 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFTA | 8/21/2023 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 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 |
| PFTrDA | 8/21/2023 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 6/3/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 6/3/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 6/3/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 6/3/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 6/3/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 6/3/2024 | 7.10 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFHpS | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 6/3/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 6/3/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 6/3/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 6/3/2024 | 3.10 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFDoA | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 6/3/2024 | 6.90 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFOS | 6/3/2024 | 13.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFNA | 6/3/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 6/3/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 6/3/2024 | 4.30 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 6/3/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 5/16/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 5/16/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 5/16/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 5/16/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 5/16/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 5/16/2023 | 6.70 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFHxS | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 5/16/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 5/16/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 5/16/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 5/16/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 5/16/2023 | 10.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFMBA | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 5/16/2023 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 5/16/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 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 Parsons Water Department.
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 TN0000541 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Tennessee Drinking Water Authority
Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Parsons Water Department under EPA-delegated authority.
Open TN regulator portalSource: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 7 | SDWIS / TN0000541 / 3100 |
| 2012 | Chlorine | MR | 2 | SDWIS / TN0000541 / 0999 |
| 2007 | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 10 | SDWIS / TN0000541 / 2456 |
| 2007 | TTHM | MR | 10 | SDWIS / TN0000541 / 2950 |
| 2000 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 4 | SDWIS / TN0000541 / 0200 |
| 2000 | Atrazine | MR | 2 | SDWIS / TN0000541 / 2050 |
How Parsons Water Department Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Parsons Water Department | Tennessee avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 38 | 56.8 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 4 | 12.4 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | 5 compounds | 33.6% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 4,303 | 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 Parsons Water Department water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Parsons Water Department serve? ▼
What type of violations does Parsons Water Department have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Parsons Water Department water? ▼
What water source does Parsons Water Department 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.