Public water system · GA1230000
ActiveEllijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth.
At a glance
Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. (PWSID GA1230000) is an active community water system in Gilmer County, Georgia. It reports serving 13,010 people through 5,004 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2006.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
13,010
Service connections
5,004
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. compare with other water systems in Gilmer County?
By EPA's size categories, Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Gilmer County has 25 active public water systems, and Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 18 times the county average of 723 people per system, and accounts for 72% of the 18,064 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 Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. 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. 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 Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth.?
EPA lists Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. 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. 2 of the 25 active systems in Gilmer County (8%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2006. The violations listed here began between June 1991 and July 2006. By type: 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 2 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Consumer Confidence Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07-01 | 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 |
| 1999-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 5 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.
Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth.: frequently asked questions
Who runs Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth.?
Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. (PWSID GA1230000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the GA state drinking water program.
How many people does Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. serve?
Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. reports serving 13,010 people through 5,004 service connections in Gilmer County, Georgia.
Where does Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. 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 Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth.'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 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2006. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the GA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth.'s water quality report?
As a community water system, Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth. 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 Gilmer County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles Mountain Campground | Gilmer | 1,820 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Walnut Mountain S/D Poa | Gilmer | 1,105 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Cherry Log Mtn.-Indian Rock | Gilmer | 283 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cherry Log Mtn.-Granny Lake | Gilmer | 265 | Community | Groundwater |
| Laurel Ridge | Gilmer | 224 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lake Buckhorn | Gilmer | 164 | 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, “Ellijay-Gilmer Co. Water Auth., PWSID GA1230000, Georgia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/georgia/ellijay-gilmer-co-water-auth-ga1230000 (data as of October 1, 2026).