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Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS WA5392024

Columbia Generating Station

Richland, Washington 99352 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 1,632 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

1,632
People served
91
EPA violations
33
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 91 drinking-water violations at Columbia Generating Station, 36% of them health-based - above the Washington per-system average.

91
Total EPA violations on record
36%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
1,632
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Columbia Generating Station

Columbia Generating Station is a local-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,632 residents in Richland, Washington (Benton County) through 32 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 91 total violations for this system , of which 33 (36%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 55 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 33 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. Statewide, 98 of 247 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (39.7%).

Columbia Generating Station's 91 violations sit above the Washington 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
1,632
Total Violations
91
Health-Based Violations
33
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
32
County
Benton
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
55
Treatment Tech Violations
33

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 33 2024
Diquat MR 5 2005
TTHM MR 4 2016
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 2016
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 2 2007
Vinyl chloride MR 2 2007
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 2 2007
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 2 2007
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 2 2007
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 2 2007
Carbon tetrachloride MR 2 2007
Trichloroethylene MR 2 2007
CHLOROBENZENE MR 2 2007
Benzene MR 2 2007
Toluene MR 2 2007
Styrene MR 2 2007
Tetrachloroethylene MR 2 2007
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 2 2007
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 2 2007
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 2 2007
Ethylbenzene MR 2 2007
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 2 2007
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 2 2007
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 2 2007
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 1 1999
Asbestos MR 1 2011

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 Columbia Generating Station.

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 WA5392024 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 Columbia Generating Station 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
2024 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 33 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 0200
2016 TTHM MR 4 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2950
2016 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2456
2011 Asbestos MR 1 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 1094
2007 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2378
2007 Vinyl chloride MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2976
2007 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2977
2007 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2979
2007 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2980
2007 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2981
2007 Carbon tetrachloride MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2982
2007 Trichloroethylene MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2984
2007 CHLOROBENZENE MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2989
2007 Benzene MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2990
2007 Toluene MR 2 SDWIS / WA5392024 / 2991

How Columbia Generating Station Compares

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

Metric Columbia Generating Station Washington avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 91 69 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 33 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 1,632 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 (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 Columbia Generating Station water safe to drink? ▼
Columbia Generating Station (PWS ID: WA5392024) has 91 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,632 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Columbia Generating Station serve? ▼
Columbia Generating Station serves 1,632 people in Richland, Washington. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 32 service connections.
What type of violations does Columbia Generating Station have? ▼
Columbia Generating Station has 91 total violations: 33 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 55 monitoring/reporting violations, and 33 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Columbia Generating Station water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Columbia Generating Station under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Columbia Generating Station use? ▼
Columbia Generating Station uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.
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.