Public water system · GA1370000
ActiveAlto
At a glance
Alto (PWSID GA1370000) is an active community water system in Habersham County, Georgia. It reports serving 2,737 people through 1,014 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,737
Service connections
1,014
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Alto compare with other water systems in Habersham County?
By EPA's size categories, Alto is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Habersham County has 17 active public water systems, and Alto is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 18% above the county average of 2,325 people per system, and accounts for 6.9% of the 39,521 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Georgia, the 2,375 active systems average 4,525 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Alto is about 59% 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. Georgia has 1,724 active community water systems, 73% of the state's 2,375 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 2,118 Georgia systems (89%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Alto?
EPA lists Alto as owned by a local government. The GA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 6 of the 17 active systems in Habersham County (35%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Alto have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2015 and April 2025. By type: 5 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 3 monitoring and reporting, 3 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Public Notice (3 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-07 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2023-04-07 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2023-04-07 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2022-10-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | 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.
Alto: frequently asked questions
Who runs Alto?
Alto (PWSID GA1370000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the GA state drinking water program.
How many people does Alto serve?
Alto reports serving 2,737 people through 1,014 service connections in Habersham County, Georgia.
Where does Alto 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 Alto have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025. 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 Alto'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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the GA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Alto's water quality report?
As a community water system, Alto 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 Habersham County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demorest | Habersham | 18,049 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Cornelia | Habersham | 6,130 | Community | Surface water |
| Clarkesville | Habersham | 5,785 | Community | Surface water |
| Baldwin | Habersham | 4,160 | Community | Surface water |
| Mount Airy | Habersham | 1,384 | Community | Groundwater |
| The Orchard Development | Habersham | 639 | 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, “Alto, PWSID GA1370000, Georgia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/georgia/alto-ga1370000 (data as of October 1, 2026).