Public water system · AR0000072
ActiveThornton Waterworks
At a glance
Thornton Waterworks (PWSID AR0000072) is an active community water system in Calhoun County, Arkansas. It reports serving 900 people through 311 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
900
Service connections
311
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Thornton Waterworks compare with other water systems in Calhoun County?
By EPA's size categories, Thornton Waterworks is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Calhoun County has 7 active public water systems, and Thornton Waterworks is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is roughly in line with the county average of 965 people per system, and accounts for 13% of the 6,758 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 Thornton 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 Thornton Waterworks?
EPA lists Thornton 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. 5 of the 7 active systems in Calhoun County (71%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Thornton Waterworks have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021. The violations listed here began between July 1998 and July 2021. By type: 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) (2 of them). EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
All 3 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.
Thornton Waterworks: frequently asked questions
Who runs Thornton Waterworks?
Thornton Waterworks (PWSID AR0000072) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the AR state drinking water program.
How many people does Thornton Waterworks serve?
Thornton Waterworks reports serving 900 people through 311 service connections in Calhoun County, Arkansas.
Where does Thornton 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 Thornton Waterworks have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021. 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 Thornton 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 3 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the AR state drinking water program.
Where can I find Thornton Waterworks' water quality report?
As a community water system, Thornton 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 Calhoun County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Waterworks | Calhoun | 1,906 | Community | Groundwater |
| Calhoun County Water Assn | Calhoun | 1,591 | Community | Groundwater |
| Shumaker Public Service Co | Calhoun | 1,399 | Community | Groundwater |
| Locust Bayou Water Association | Calhoun | 531 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Harrell Waterworks | Calhoun | 296 | Community | Groundwater |
| Georgia Pacific Wood Products LLC | Calhoun | 135 | Non-transient non-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, “Thornton Waterworks, PWSID AR0000072, Arkansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/arkansas/thornton-waterworks-ar0000072 (data as of October 1, 2026).