Public water system · CA2010001
ActiveChowchilla City Water Dept
At a glance
Chowchilla City Water Dept (PWSID CA2010001) is an active community water system in Madera County, California. It reports serving 13,916 people through 4,224 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2006.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
13,916
Service connections
4,224
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Chowchilla City Water Dept compare with other water systems in Madera County?
By EPA's size categories, Chowchilla City Water Dept is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Madera County has 202 active public water systems, and Chowchilla City Water Dept is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 15 times the county average of 915 people per system, and accounts for 7.5% of the 184,760 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 Chowchilla City Water Dept is about twice 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 Chowchilla City Water Dept?
EPA lists Chowchilla City Water Dept as owned by a local government. 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. 46 of the 202 active systems in Madera County (23%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Chowchilla City Water Dept have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2006. The violations listed here began between April 1993 and January 2006. By type: 6 contaminant level above the legal limit and 4 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (6 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Radium-228code 4030 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1995-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 10 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.
Chowchilla City Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Chowchilla City Water Dept?
Chowchilla City Water Dept (PWSID CA2010001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Chowchilla City Water Dept serve?
Chowchilla City Water Dept reports serving 13,916 people through 4,224 service connections in Madera County, California.
Where does Chowchilla City Water Dept 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 Chowchilla City Water Dept have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2006. 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 Chowchilla City Water Dept'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. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2006. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Chowchilla City Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Chowchilla City Water Dept 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 Madera County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Madera | Madera | 66,560 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lupine Bass Lake | Madera | 11,930 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Madera Valley Water Company | Madera | 6,494 | Community | Groundwater |
| Riverstone/Rootcreek Water District | Madera | 5,507 | Community | Groundwater |
| Yosemite Spring Park Util Co | Madera | 5,300 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cal Am - Bass Lake | Madera | 4,527 | Community | Surface water |
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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, “Chowchilla City Water Dept, PWSID CA2010001, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/chowchilla-city-water-dept-ca2010001 (data as of October 1, 2026).