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Community Water System · PWS VT0020562

North Hero Water System

North Hero, Vermont 05474 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 2,750 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

2,750
People served
294
EPA violations
163
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 294 drinking-water violations at North Hero Water System, 55% of them health-based - above the Vermont per-system average.

294
Total EPA violations on record
55%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
2,750
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: North Hero Water System

North Hero Water System is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,750 residents in North Hero, Vermont (Grand Isle County) through 577 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 294 total violations for this system , of which 163 (55%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 125 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2013.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), recorded in 96 violations (MCL, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Vermont, EPA tracks 1,357 public water systems serving 646,999 people, with 153,729 cumulative violations and 16,917 health-based violations on record. About 93% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 113.3 violations. Statewide, 3 of 37 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (8.1%).

North Hero Water System's 294 violations sit above the Vermont 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
2,750
Total Violations
294
Health-Based Violations
163
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
577
County
Grand Isle
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
163
Monitoring Violations
125
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 96 2011
TTHM MCL 67 2010
Coliform (TCR) MR 15 2002
Lead and Copper Rule MR 13 2008
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 2013
Nitrate MR 5 2000
CYANIDE MR 5 2000
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 4 2000
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 4 2000
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 2000
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 2000
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2000
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 4 2000
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 4 2000
Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 2000
Trichloroethylene MR 4 2000
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 4 2000
Tetrachloroethylene MR 4 2000
Benzene MR 4 2000
Ethylbenzene MR 4 2000
Styrene MR 4 2000
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 4 2000
Xylenes, Total MR 4 2000
Vinyl chloride MR 4 2000
CHLOROBENZENE MR 4 2000
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2000
Toluene MR 4 2000
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2000
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 2000

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 North Hero Water System.

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 VT0020562 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Vermont Drinking Water Authority

Vermont'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 VT 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
2013 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 6 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 7000
2011 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 96 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2456
2010 TTHM MCL 67 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2950
2008 Lead and Copper Rule MR 13 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 5000
2002 Coliform (TCR) MR 15 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 3100
2000 Nitrate MR 5 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 1040
2000 CYANIDE MR 5 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 1024
2000 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2378
2000 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2964
2000 o-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2968
2000 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2969
2000 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2977
2000 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2980
2000 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2981
2000 Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 SDWIS / VT0020562 / 2982

How North Hero Water System Compares

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

Metric North Hero Water System Vermont avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 294 113.3 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 163 12.5 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 8.1% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 2,750 477 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,357 regulated public water systems in Vermont.

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 North Hero Water System water safe to drink? ▼
North Hero Water System (PWS ID: VT0020562) has 294 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 2,750 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does North Hero Water System serve? ▼
North Hero Water System serves 2,750 people in North Hero, Vermont. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 577 service connections.
What type of violations does North Hero Water System have? ▼
North Hero Water System has 294 total violations: 163 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 125 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in North Hero Water System water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for North Hero Water System under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does North Hero Water System use? ▼
North Hero Water System 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.