Public water system · AR0000028
ActiveCotter Waterworks
At a glance
Cotter Waterworks (PWSID AR0000028) is an active community water system in Baxter County, Arkansas. It reports serving 1,233 people through 493 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2009.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,233
Service connections
493
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Cotter Waterworks compare with other water systems in Baxter County?
By EPA's size categories, Cotter Waterworks is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Baxter County has 50 active public water systems, and Cotter Waterworks is the 6th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 59% above the county average of 778 people per system, and accounts for 3.2% of the 38,879 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Arkansas, the 853 active systems average 3,592 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Cotter Waterworks is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Arkansas has 660 active community water systems, 77% of the state's 853 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 461 Arkansas systems (54%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Cotter Waterworks?
EPA lists Cotter Waterworks as owned by a local government. The AR state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 13 of the 50 active systems in Baxter County (26%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Cotter Waterworks have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2009. The violations listed here began between August 1991 and February 2009. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (6 of them). EPA lists 5 as archived and 2 as resolved. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Archived |
| 1994-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-08-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, Public · code 06 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 7 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Cotter Waterworks: frequently asked questions
Who runs Cotter Waterworks?
Cotter Waterworks (PWSID AR0000028) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the AR state drinking water program.
How many people does Cotter Waterworks serve?
Cotter Waterworks reports serving 1,233 people through 493 service connections in Baxter County, Arkansas.
Where does Cotter Waterworks get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Cotter Waterworks have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2009. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Cotter Waterworks' water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2009. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the AR state drinking water program.
Where can I find Cotter Waterworks' water quality report?
As a community water system, Cotter Waterworks must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Baxter County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Home Waterworks | Baxter | 19,618 | Community | Surface water |
| North East Public Water Auth | Baxter | 4,690 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Lakeview-Midway Public Water Authority | Baxter | 4,383 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Gassville Waterworks | Baxter | 2,040 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| Brunner Hill Water Assoc | Baxter | 1,265 | Community | Groundwater |
| Norfork Waterworks | Baxter | 918 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Cotter Waterworks, PWSID AR0000028, Arkansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/arkansas/cotter-waterworks-ar0000028 (data as of October 1, 2026).