Public water system · GA0570001
ActiveCanton
At a glance
Canton (PWSID GA0570001) is an active community water system in Cherokee County, Georgia. It reports serving 16,375 people through 7,600 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, 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 July 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
16,375
Service connections
7,600
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Canton compare with other water systems in Cherokee County?
By EPA's size categories, Canton is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Cherokee County has 10 active public water systems, and Canton is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 40% below the county average of 27,366 people per system, and accounts for 6% of the 273,655 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 Canton is about 144% above 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 103 Georgia systems (4.3%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Canton?
EPA lists Canton 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 10 active systems in Cherokee County (60%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Canton have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2015. The violations listed here began between May 1998 and July 2015. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Consumer Confidence Rule (4 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 2013-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-02-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique No Certif. Operator · code 12 | Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rulecode 0400 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
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.
Canton: frequently asked questions
Who runs Canton?
Canton (PWSID GA0570001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the GA state drinking water program.
How many people does Canton serve?
Canton reports serving 16,375 people through 7,600 service connections in Cherokee County, Georgia.
Where does Canton get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Canton 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 July 2015. 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 Canton'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 July 2015. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the GA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Canton's water quality report?
As a community water system, Canton 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 Cherokee County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County | Cherokee | 224,427 | Community | Surface water |
| Woodstock | Cherokee | 19,742 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Waleska | Cherokee | 4,657 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Lake Arrowhead Subdivision | Cherokee | 4,617 | Community | Groundwater |
| Ball Ground | Cherokee | 2,470 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cherokee County-Salacoa Area | Cherokee | 465 | Community | Purchased 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, “Canton, PWSID GA0570001, Georgia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/georgia/canton-ga0570001 (data as of October 1, 2026).