Public water system · AR0000170
ActiveMc Gehee Waterworks
At a glance
Mc Gehee Waterworks (PWSID AR0000170) is an active community water system in Desha County, Arkansas. It reports serving 3,849 people through 2,366 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,849
Service connections
2,366
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Mc Gehee Waterworks compare with other water systems in Desha County?
By EPA's size categories, Mc Gehee Waterworks is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Desha County has 11 active public water systems, and Mc Gehee Waterworks is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 3.2 times the county average of 1,211 people per system, and accounts for 29% of the 13,321 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 Mc Gehee Waterworks is about 43% 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 Mc Gehee Waterworks?
EPA lists Mc Gehee 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. 8 of the 11 active systems in Desha County (73%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Mc Gehee Waterworks have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2019. The violations listed here began between October 1998 and December 2019. By type: 2 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 monitoring and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Fluoride (2 of them). EPA lists 3 as resolved and 1 as archived. 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. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Fluoridecode 1025 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-10-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, Public · code 06 | Fluoridecode 1025 | No | Archived |
All 4 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.
Mc Gehee Waterworks: frequently asked questions
Who runs Mc Gehee Waterworks?
Mc Gehee Waterworks (PWSID AR0000170) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the AR state drinking water program.
How many people does Mc Gehee Waterworks serve?
Mc Gehee Waterworks reports serving 3,849 people through 2,366 service connections in Desha County, Arkansas.
Where does Mc Gehee 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 Mc Gehee Waterworks have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2019. 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 Mc Gehee 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 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the AR state drinking water program.
Where can I find Mc Gehee Waterworks' water quality report?
As a community water system, Mc Gehee 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 Desha County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumas Waterworks | Desha | 6,338 | Community | Groundwater |
| Pendleton-Pea Ridge Water Assn | Desha | 845 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Kelso-Rohwer Water Association | Desha | 563 | Community | Groundwater |
| Arkansas City Waterworks | Desha | 360 | Community | Groundwater |
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | Desha | 339 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Wkmm Rural Water Association | Desha | 310 | Community | Purchased 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, “Mc Gehee Waterworks, PWSID AR0000170, Arkansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/arkansas/mc-gehee-waterworks-ar0000170 (data as of October 1, 2026).