Question 1

Is Columbia Generating Station water safe to drink?

Accepted Answer

Columbia Generating Station (PWS ID: WA5392024) has 91 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. EPA SDWIS lists this system's service population as 1,632 people using Surface Water sources.

Question 2

How many people does Columbia Generating Station serve?

Accepted Answer

EPA SDWIS reports that Columbia Generating Station serves 1,632 people (this public water system's service population, not the municipal population of Richland or any other city). It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 32 service connections. The operator address is listed in Richland, Washington.

Question 3

What type of violations does Columbia Generating Station have?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

Has PFAS been detected in Columbia Generating Station water?

Accepted Answer

No PFAS testing data is available for Columbia Generating Station under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Question 5

What water source does Columbia Generating Station use?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

Where does this data come from?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

Where does Columbia Generating Station sit among U.S. public water systems?

Accepted Answer

According to EPA SDWIS population_served among sitemap-advertised systems (serving 500+), Columbia Generating Station ranks #15,194 of 29,740 by people served, and #400 of 766 in Washington. Ordinals use population_served DESC among systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). See /methodology#corpus-placement.

Question 8

How does Columbia Generating Station's violation count compare nationally?

Accepted Answer

Columbia Generating Station has 91 recorded EPA SDWIS violations, fewer than 29% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500 or more people nationwide (the same sitemap cohort used for the corpus-placement ranking above). 71% of that cohort has fewer violations than Columbia Generating Station. A system can have zero recorded violations and still be actively monitored, and a high violation count often reflects a system that reports thoroughly, not necessarily one with worse water.

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

Columbia Generating Station

Columbia Generating Station standing, high SDWIS violation third

System Details

Violation History

Violation Count vs. the National Corpus

Health-based violations on Columbia Generating Station

Nationwide peers

Cross-state systems with comparable violation load

Cross-state systems near this population served