Public water system · CA3000980
ActiveSmwd-Nichols Institute
At a glance
Smwd-Nichols Institute (PWSID CA3000980) is an active non-transient non-community water system in Orange County, California. It reports serving 1,600 people through 2 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2017.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,600
Service connections
2
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
NTNCWS
Non-transient non-community water system
System record
How does Smwd-Nichols Institute compare with other water systems in Orange County?
By EPA's size categories, Smwd-Nichols Institute is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Orange County has 46 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 69,606 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 3,201,893 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across California, the 7,479 active systems average 5,706 people each. Nationally, the average active non-transient non-community water system reports serving 430 people, so Smwd-Nichols Institute is about 3.7 times that figure.
What does “non-transient non-community water system” mean?
A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. California has 1,466 active non-transient non-community water systems, 20% of the state's 7,479 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 506 California systems (6.8%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Smwd-Nichols Institute?
EPA lists Smwd-Nichols Institute 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. 34 of the 46 active systems in Orange County (74%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Smwd-Nichols Institute have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2017. By type: 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). EPA lists 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
The one violation in EPA's records.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.
Smwd-Nichols Institute: frequently asked questions
Who runs Smwd-Nichols Institute?
Smwd-Nichols Institute (PWSID CA3000980) is a non-transient non-community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Smwd-Nichols Institute serve?
Smwd-Nichols Institute reports serving 1,600 people through 2 service connections in Orange County, California.
Where does Smwd-Nichols Institute get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Smwd-Nichols Institute have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2017. 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 Smwd-Nichols Institute'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 one violation for this system; it is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2017. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Smwd-Nichols Institute's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Smwd-Nichols Institute is a non-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 Orange County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine Ranch Water District | Orange | 444,800 | Community | Surface water |
| City of Anaheim | Orange | 348,593 | Community | Surface water |
| City of Santa Ana | Orange | 310,539 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Huntington Beach | Orange | 201,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Garden Grove | Orange | 174,226 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Moulton Niguel Water District | Orange | 170,236 | Community | Purchased surface water |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Smwd-Nichols Institute, PWSID CA3000980, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/smwd-nichols-institute-ca3000980 (data as of October 1, 2026).