Public water system · IL1997037
ActiveCrab Orchard Refuge
At a glance
Crab Orchard Refuge (PWSID IL1997037) is an active community water system in Williamson County, Illinois. It reports serving 25 people through 3 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by the federal government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25
Service connections
3
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Crab Orchard Refuge compare with other water systems in Williamson County?
By EPA's size categories, Crab Orchard Refuge is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Williamson County has 25 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 3,018 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 75,458 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Illinois, the 3,872 active systems average 3,204 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Crab Orchard Refuge is well 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. Illinois has 1,773 active community water systems, 46% of the state's 3,872 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 619 Illinois systems (16%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Crab Orchard Refuge?
EPA lists Crab Orchard Refuge as owned by the federal government. 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. 2 of the 25 active systems in Williamson County (8%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does Crab Orchard Refuge have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2022. The violations listed here began between April 1988 and July 2022. By type: 8 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 2 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved and 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1995-02-01 | Required treatment not metOCCT/SOWT Study/Recommendation · code 57 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-07-07 | Required treatment not metOCCT/SOWT Study/Recommendation · code 57 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingWater Quality Parameter M/R · code 53 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1988-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Bariumcode 1010 | No | Archived |
| 1988-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 1988-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Mercurycode 1035 | No | Archived |
| 1988-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Fluoridecode 1025 | No | 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.
Crab Orchard Refuge: frequently asked questions
Who runs Crab Orchard Refuge?
Crab Orchard Refuge (PWSID IL1997037) is a community water system owned by the federal government. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Crab Orchard Refuge serve?
Crab Orchard Refuge reports serving 25 people through 3 service connections in Williamson County, Illinois.
Where does Crab Orchard Refuge 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 Crab Orchard Refuge 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 July 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 Crab Orchard Refuge'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 July 2022. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Crab Orchard Refuge's water quality report?
As a community water system, Crab Orchard Refuge 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 Williamson County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | Williamson | 16,855 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Herrin | Williamson | 12,747 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Lake of Egypt PWD | Williamson | 11,368 | Community | Surface water |
| Carterville | Williamson | 6,528 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Coal Valley PWD | Williamson | 4,023 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Corinth PWD | Williamson | 3,927 | 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, “Crab Orchard Refuge, PWSID IL1997037, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/crab-orchard-refuge-il1997037 (data as of October 1, 2026).