Public water system · IL3117523
ActiveCactus Country
At a glance
Cactus Country (PWSID IL3117523) is an active transient non-community water system in Knox County, Illinois. It reports serving 30 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
30
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Cactus Country compare with other water systems in Knox County?
By EPA's size categories, Cactus Country is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Knox County has 34 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,442 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 49,041 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Illinois, the 3,872 active systems average 3,204 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Cactus Country is well 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. Illinois has 1,703 active transient non-community water systems, 44% of the state's 3,872 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 2,808 Illinois systems (73%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Cactus Country?
EPA lists Cactus Country as privately owned. The IL state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 15 of the 34 active systems in Knox County (44%) are also privately owned.
Does Cactus Country have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2022. The violations listed here began between October 1988 and April 2022. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 2 monitoring, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-04-21 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1988-10-01 | 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.
Cactus Country: frequently asked questions
Who runs Cactus Country?
Cactus Country (PWSID IL3117523) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Cactus Country serve?
Cactus Country reports serving 30 people through 1 service connection in Knox County, Illinois.
Where does Cactus Country 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 Cactus Country have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2022. 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 Cactus Country'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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2022. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Cactus Country's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Cactus Country 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 Knox County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg | Knox | 31,620 | Community | Groundwater |
| Abingdon | Knox | 3,275 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Knoxville | Knox | 3,120 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| I74 Spoon River Rest Area | Knox | 2,356 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Aqua Illinois-Oak Run | Knox | 1,885 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wataga | Knox | 965 | 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, “Cactus Country, PWSID IL3117523, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/cactus-country-il3117523 (data as of October 1, 2026).