Providing Safe Drinking Water in America: National Public Water Systems Compliance Report

Each calendar year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency analyzes and reports on drinking water violations at public water systems, or PWSs, in the United States. Section 1414(c)(3)(B) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, or SDWA, requires EPA to publicize an annual report which:

Summarizes and evaluates violations of National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, or NPDWR, by PWSs reported by states, federally recognized Indian Tribes, commonwealths, and territories
Includes information about EPA's enforcement and compliance assistance activities at PWSs serving Indian country, and financial assistance provided to Tribes, including Alaska Native Villages
Makes recommendations concerning resources needed for improving compliance

EPA’s 2024 report provides information about ongoing and planned SDWA compliance assistance and enforcement activities for PWSs to the public, drinking water regulators, and environmental professionals.

Public Water System Violations Reported by Primacy Agencies

EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online, or ECHO, Drinking Water Dashboard provides publicly available information on PWS activities and violations reported by primacy agencies – either states, Tribes, commonwealths, and territories with EPA approval to implement the SDWA Public Water System Supervision Program. It also provides available information on PWS activities and violations in areas where EPA directly implements the SDWA Public Water System Supervision Program (i.e., Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and all Indian country, except the Navajo Nation which maintains primacy for almost all PWSs on the Navajo Reservation).

The ECHO Dashboard provides users several different ways to view and summarize the data. Users can access national statistics on violations overall, individual types of violations, and enforcement responses reported by primacy agencies. Each Dashboard panel can be filtered to present the annual compliance data at the national level and for systems in Indian country, or more finely sorted to display data by EPA Region, state, Tribe, commonwealth, and territory. Note: when accessing data on the Drinking Water Dashboard, users should ensure that the “Year View” has the “Calendar Year” option selected using the drop-down menu. First-time users of the interactive annual National PWS Compliance Dashboard Report may find the ECHO Quick Start Guide instructions helpful.

Snapshot Summary and Evaluation of PWS Compliance in Calendar Year 2024

There were 147,252 active PWSs in the US during calendar year 2024
Nearly sixty-nine percent (101,272) of the active PWSs had no reported violations of drinking water standards
Thirty-one percent (45,980) of the active PWSs had at least one reported drinking water standard violation in 2024
Seven percent (10,769) of the active PWSs had at least one reported health-based drinking water standard violation such as when a contaminant was detected in excess of allowable limits or a drinking water treatment technique requirement was not met
The NPDWR Lead and Copper Rule (40 CFR § 141.84(a)) required public water systems to submit an initial lead service line inventory by October 16, 2024. There is an increase in health-based violations in 2024, about 2.7 percent (3,902) of active PWSs, because these PWSs failed to meet this requirement. EPA is working closely with primacy agencies to address these violations in a timely manner
Twenty-three percent (34,398) of the active PWSs failed to meet at least one monitoring or reporting requirement by not providing timely and complete information on contaminants present in their water
EPA prioritizes SDWA enforcement responses using a methodology that assigns points to violation types (e.g., health-based, acute health-based, reporting, etc.) based on the seriousness and duration of the violation. A PWS whose violation points add to 11 or higher is designated an enforcement priority until its violations are either returned to compliance or addressed with a formal enforcement action. Systems typically become enforcement priorities after multiple violations over a sustained period. In 2024, 5,582 (3.8%) of PWSs were an enforcement priority in at least one quarter of the year. The majority (5,152 or 92%) of PWSs in enforcement priority status were small systems serving a population of 3,300 or less
In 2024, EPA and other primacy agencies initiated at least one formal enforcement action at 3,192 PWSs in response to the reported drinking water violations at PWSs within their jurisdictions
In 2024, EPA and other primacy agencies initiated at least one informal enforcement action at 30,530 PWSs within their jurisdiction
In 2024, 22,305 PWSs corrected their violations and were reported as returned to compliance

The 2024 report data may differ somewhat from 2024 state reports that draw from the Safe Drinking Water Information System-Federal, depending on the specific queries used to generate each annual report.

Previous National PWS Annual Compliance Reports, past snapshots, and links to state reports

State/Territory/Navajo Nation Annual Public Water System Compliance Reports for 2024

Section 1414(c)(3)(A) of SDWA requires that each primacy agency shall prepare, make readily available to the public, and submit to the EPA Administrator an annual report of violations of NPDWRs by PWSs in the primacy agency’s jurisdiction. Currently, 49 states, 5 territories, and the Navajo Nation have primacy. EPA has direct implementation authority for the District of Columbia, Wyoming, and the rest of Indian country. These Annual State Public Water System Compliance reports are to include violations of maximum contaminant levels, treatment requirements, variances and exemptions, and monitoring requirements. Individual compliance reports for 2024 are available on the State/Territory/Navajo Nation Annual Public Water Systems Compliance Report webpage.

Recommendations to Improve Compliance and Address the Findings in the National PWS Compliance Report

After reviewing the primacy agencies’ annual PWS compliance reports for calendar year 2024, EPA has identified three categories of recommendations to improve the ability of PWSs to meet the federal SDWA drinking water requirements. These recommendations will be considered in the context of EPA’s Increasing Compliance with Drinking Water Standards National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative and incorporated into EPA Regions’ plans to implement the initiative, where practicable. The Drinking Water NECI joins EPA and primacy agencies in partnership to use our resources most effectively to identify, reduce, and prevent noncompliance at Community Water Systems. These are systems that serve at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serve at least 25 year-round residents. Through the NECI, and the three following recommendations, EPA and primacy agencies can continue to improve PWS compliance nationwide.

1. Continue to Return Systems to Compliance and Prevent Noncompliance

States, territories, the Navajo Nation, and EPA will continue working together to return violating PWSs to compliance as efficiently and effectively as possible. Pursuing a holistic approach to addressing noncompliance by all primacy agencies is an important element of improving performance among PWSs, including:

Reducing Health-Based Violations: Take appropriate action to reduce the number of PWSs in violation of health-based standards under the SDWA, with emphasis on CWSs.
Reducing Violation Duration: Shorten the average duration of health-based violations that occur at CWSs.
Improving Reporting: Improve the overall accuracy of data in EPA’s drinking water databases and other information related to SDWA compliance by taking proactive measures to report.
Preventing Noncompliance: Identify and take proactive measures, such as providing technical assistance, to prevent noncompliance at CWSs that face significant capacity issues or display other indications that they are likely to violate NPDWRs. Ensure appropriate intervention (including enforcement) to resolve violations and prevent future noncompliance.
Improving system understanding of NPDWRs: Coordinate with primacy agencies to provide targeted training, technical assistance, and implementation tools to PWS operators to better understand and implement the NPDWRs requirements.

Primacy agencies and EPA will continue to pursue enforcement actions against violating PWSs both to return systems to compliance and to deter future violations. EPA and primacy agencies will continue to implement EPA’s SDWA Enforcement Response Policy.

EPA remains committed to working with primacy agencies to protect public health and is pursuing collaborative approaches for preventing and correcting violations of drinking water standards as the Agency implements the Drinking Water NECI to increase compliance with drinking water standards.

2. Continue to Develop Capacity at Smaller Public Water Systems

EPA will continue its efforts to support PWSs serving 10,000 or fewer consumers through the capacity development program and other sustainability efforts for drinking water systems. Recognizing the challenges facing these PWSs, EPA provides tools and assistance to develop technical, financial, and managerial capabilities to provide safe drinking water. EPA’s Office of Water also provides information about treatment technology options for small systems.

Additional information on EPA’s capacity development program can be found at Building the Capacity of Drinking Water Systems website. This information includes numerous assistance resources and activities provided by EPA, including those through the Office of Water and regional water programs, such as on-site visits and the distribution of easy-to-read guides and checklists. EPA also offers Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) that connects communities to experts who help assess and implement solutions for their drinking water needs and assists communities with applying for financial assistance. RealWaterTA focuses on public health and compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. The Compliance Advisors for Sustainable Water Systems Program also provides on-the-ground technical assistance to help PWSs achieve and sustain environmental compliance. Compliance Advisors provided technical assistance to 157 small drinking water systems in 2024.

The Financing for Environmental Compliance website provides financial and technical assistance resources to help communities create a plan to finance environmental capital assets. For more information on sustainable practices that support water infrastructure and create sustainable communities, see EPA’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure web page.

3. Improve Data Quality and Transparency

Data completeness and accuracy must remain a high priority for EPA and primacy agencies. Without high quality data, EPA cannot fulfill its responsibility to fully assess the state of compliance of the Nation’s PWSs and to communicate to the public, Congress, and other stakeholders. Communication tools include the Consumer Confidence Report and Public Notification rules which require PWSs to inform water system consumers and the public of their drinking water quality.

EPA’s ECHO Drinking Water Dashboard annually summarizes violation and enforcement data for PWSs which also increases the public’s access to information about PWS compliance. EPA believes that raising public awareness of PWSs drinking water violations will encourage the PWSs to improve their compliance. The dashboard format allows users easier access to additional data through hyperlinks and gives users the ability to filter and download the data.

Enforcement and Compliance and Financial Assistance Activities in Indian Country

EPA works with Tribal governments and/or Tribal government utilities to help their PWSs comply with SDWA requirements and improve access to safe drinking water. EPA can authorize Tribes to implement the SDWA Public Water System Supervision Program (known as “primacy”) and enforce national standards within their boundaries. To date, only the Navajo Nation has applied for and received primacy. EPA, therefore, directly implements the SDWA requirements for almost all PWSs in Indian country and devotes considerable resources to improving PWSs compliance in Indian country. In accordance with SDWA Section 1414(c)(3)(B), this National PWS Compliance Report includes information on enforcement and compliance assistance activities in Indian country and financial assistance provided to improve compliance.

Violations and Enforcement Actions in Indian Country

Information on PWSs in Indian country with reported violations during the calendar year can be found on EPA’s Drinking Water Dashboard, by selecting the specific Tribe under the drop-down menu for “Tribes.” The drop-down menu can also be used to select all Tribal PWSs by clicking the three dots and then clicking “Select all.”

EPA Financial Assistance for PWSs in Indian Country

EPA provides financial assistance to Tribes for planning and construction expenditures at community or non-profit non-community PWSs that serve Tribes through various funding programs. Information on EPA’s financial assistance to Tribal PWSs is available on EPA’s Tribal Drinking Water Funding Programs webpage.

Through the Tribal Public Water System Supervision Program, funds are available to support the Navajo Nation’s SDWA Public Water System Supervision Program, assist Tribes developing primacy programs and individual program components, and support EPA’s implementation of primacy (direct implementation) activities in Indian country. These funds are used for activities such as:

Providing technical assistance to owners and operators of water systems
Maintaining compliance data systems
Compiling and analyzing compliance information
Responding to violations
Conducting sanitary surveys

Each year, $20 M or two percent of all funds appropriation (whichever is greater) for the national Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, or DWSRF, program is set aside for American Indian communities and Alaska Native Villages through the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set-Aside Program. These funds may be used for various projects, including the following:

Distribution and transmission system improvements
Community water system extensions
Storage facilities
Treatment improvements
New pump house construction

In 2024, Tribes were allotted a portion of DWSRF funds, which is administered under the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants – Tribal Set-Aside (DWIG-TSA). DWIG-TSA made available in 2024 funds appropriated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act specifically for identifying and addressing PFAS and emerging contaminants, as well as funds specifically to support lead service line inventories and replacement activities.

Additionally, EPA makes a portion of appropriated funds available to Tribal PWSs under the following grant programs: the Small, Underserved and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program (SUDC), the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Tribal Grant Program, and the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Tribal Grant Program.

Accessing infrastructure funding can be a challenge to many communities, especially for Tribes. Many of the Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) initiatives that EPA offers provide free assistance to Tribes to connect to experts who help assess and implement solutions for their drinking water.

Previous National PWS Report

EPA’s annual reports on PWS violation data are summarized on the Drinking Water Dashboard. Below is an archive of previous National PWS Annual Compliance Reports, including prior recommendations for improving compliance, discussions on EPA’s prior enforcement, compliance assistance, and financial assistance efforts in Indian country: