Public water system · CA2902392
ActivePenn Valley Shell
At a glance
Penn Valley Shell (PWSID CA2902392) is an active transient non-community water system in Nevada County, California. It reports serving 100 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2012.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
100
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Penn Valley Shell compare with other water systems in Nevada County?
By EPA's size categories, Penn Valley Shell is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Nevada County has 82 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,263 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 103,540 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across California, the 7,479 active systems average 5,706 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Penn Valley Shell is about 31% below that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. California has 3,016 active transient non-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 Penn Valley Shell?
EPA lists Penn Valley Shell 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. 49 of the 82 active systems in Nevada County (60%) are also privately owned.
Does Penn Valley Shell have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2012. The violations listed here began between July 1999 and May 2012. By type: 7 contaminant level above the legal limit and 2 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (9 of them). EPA lists 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2010-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1999-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 9 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.
Penn Valley Shell: frequently asked questions
Who runs Penn Valley Shell?
Penn Valley Shell (PWSID CA2902392) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Penn Valley Shell serve?
Penn Valley Shell reports serving 100 people through 1 service connection in Nevada County, California.
Where does Penn Valley Shell 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 Penn Valley Shell have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2012. 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 Penn Valley Shell'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 9 violations for this system; 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2012. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Penn Valley Shell's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Penn Valley Shell is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in Nevada County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truckee-Donner PUD, Main | Nevada | 36,730 | Community | Groundwater |
| Nevada Id - E. George, Banner Mountain | Nevada | 17,154 | Community | Surface water |
| Nevada Id - Loma Rica | Nevada | 14,072 | Community | Surface water |
| Nevada Id - Lake Wildwood | Nevada | 9,108 | Community | Surface water |
| Nevada Id - Lake of Pines | Nevada | 6,870 | Community | Surface water |
| City of Grass Valley | Nevada | 4,947 | 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, “Penn Valley Shell, PWSID CA2902392, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/penn-valley-shell-ca2902392 (data as of October 1, 2026).