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CATHLAMET WATER DEPT

PWS ID: WA5311850 · Cathlamet, Washington 98612

CATHLAMET WATER DEPT serves 1,636 people in Cathlamet, Washington using Surface Water water sources. It has 498 recorded EPA violations, including 60 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: CATHLAMET WATER DEPT

CATHLAMET WATER DEPT is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,636 residents in Cathlamet, Washington (Wahkiakum County) through 739 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 498 total violations for this system , of which 60 (12%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 430 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 60 violations (TT, 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 Washington, EPA tracks 4,557 public water systems serving 9,736,844 people, with 314,648 cumulative violations and 20,590 health-based violations on record. About 92% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 69 violations. CATHLAMET WATER DEPT's 498 violations sit above the Washington average. Statewide, 98 of 247 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (39.7%). 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
1,636
Total Violations
498
Health-Based Violations
60
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
739
County
Wahkiakum
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
430
Treatment Tech Violations
60

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 60 1999
Arsenic MR 13 2008
Mercury MR 13 2008
Selenium MR 13 2008
Barium MR 13 2008
Chromium MR 13 2008
Cadmium MR 13 2008
Fluoride MR 13 2008
Nickel MR 12 2008
CYANIDE MR 12 2008
Antimony, Total MR 12 2008
Beryllium, Total MR 12 2008
Thallium, Total MR 12 2008
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 11 2008
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 11 2008
Vinyl chloride MR 11 2008
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 11 2008
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 11 2008
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 11 2008
CHLOROBENZENE MR 11 2008
Toluene MR 11 2008
Ethylbenzene MR 11 2008
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 11 2008
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 11 2008
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 11 2008
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 11 2008
Carbon tetrachloride MR 11 2008
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 11 2008
Trichloroethylene MR 11 2008
Tetrachloroethylene MR 11 2008

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 CATHLAMET 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 WA5311850 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Washington Drinking Water Authority

Washington State Department of Health — Office of Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects CATHLAMET WATER DEPT under EPA-delegated authority.

Open WA regulator portal

Source: Washington State Department of Health — Office of 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
2025 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 0200
2025 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 7000
2008 Arsenic MR 13 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1005
2008 Mercury MR 13 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1035
2008 Selenium MR 13 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1045
2008 Barium MR 13 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1010
2008 Chromium MR 13 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1020
2008 Cadmium MR 13 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1015
2008 Fluoride MR 13 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1025
2008 Nickel MR 12 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1036
2008 CYANIDE MR 12 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1024
2008 Antimony, Total MR 12 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1074
2008 Beryllium, Total MR 12 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1075
2008 Thallium, Total MR 12 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 1085
2008 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 11 SDWIS / WA5311850 / 2380

How CATHLAMET WATER DEPT Compares

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

Metric CATHLAMET WATER DEPT Washington avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 498 69 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 60 4.5 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 39.7% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 1,636 2,137 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 4,557 regulated public water systems in Washington.

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
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CATHLAMET WATER DEPT water safe to drink? ▼
CATHLAMET WATER DEPT (PWS ID: WA5311850) has 498 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,636 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does CATHLAMET WATER DEPT serve? ▼
CATHLAMET WATER DEPT serves 1,636 people in Cathlamet, Washington. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 739 service connections.
What type of violations does CATHLAMET WATER DEPT have? ▼
CATHLAMET WATER DEPT has 498 total violations: 60 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 430 monitoring/reporting violations, and 60 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in CATHLAMET WATER DEPT water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for CATHLAMET WATER DEPT under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does CATHLAMET WATER DEPT use? ▼
CATHLAMET 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.

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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.

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