Public water system · CA1400004
ActiveCharles Brown Water Company
At a glance
Charles Brown Water Company (PWSID CA1400004) is an active community water system in Inyo County, California. It reports serving 242 people through 31 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
242
Service connections
31
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Charles Brown Water Company compare with other water systems in Inyo County?
By EPA's size categories, Charles Brown Water Company is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Inyo County has 112 active public water systems. Its population served is about half of the county average of 442 people per system, and accounts for 0.5% of the 49,451 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across California, the 7,479 active systems average 5,706 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Charles Brown Water Company 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. California has 2,997 active community water systems, 40% of the state's 7,479 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 6,179 California systems (83%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Charles Brown Water Company?
EPA lists Charles Brown Water Company as privately owned. The CA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 61 of the 112 active systems in Inyo County (54%) are also privately owned.
Does Charles Brown Water Company have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. The violations listed here began between April 2011 and October 2024. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 2 required treatment not met, 2 monitoring, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-17 | ReportingLSL Reporting · code 4G | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2024-10-17 | Required treatment not metLSL Inventory · code 2E | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2024-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-07-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique, Level 2 Assessment (RTCR) · code 2B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-06-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Unfilt/GWR) · code 31 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
The 12 most recent 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.
Charles Brown Water Company: frequently asked questions
Who runs Charles Brown Water Company?
Charles Brown Water Company (PWSID CA1400004) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Charles Brown Water Company serve?
Charles Brown Water Company reports serving 242 people through 31 service connections in Inyo County, California.
Where does Charles Brown Water Company 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 Charles Brown Water Company have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. 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 Charles Brown Water Company's 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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Charles Brown Water Company's water quality report?
As a community water system, Charles Brown Water Company 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 Inyo County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Creek Chevron | Inyo | 16,793 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Bishop, City of | Inyo | 3,819 | Community | Groundwater |
| Petite Pantry | Inyo | 3,012 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Lee'S Frontier | Inyo | 2,000 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Inyo County PWD - Lone Pine | Inyo | 1,835 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Pearsonville Water System | Inyo | 1,515 | 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, “Charles Brown Water Company, PWSID CA1400004, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/charles-brown-water-company-ca1400004 (data as of October 1, 2026).