Public water system · IN5271014

Active

South Bend Water Works

At a glance

South Bend Water Works (PWSID IN5271014) is an active community water system in St. Joseph County, Indiana. It reports serving 115,000 people through 46,000 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in November 2025.

Dataset updated October 2026 . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.

Population served

115,000

Service connections

46,000

Primary source

Groundwater

System type

CWS

Community water system

System record

PWSIDIN5271014

System typeCommunity water system

Activity statusActive

Population served115,000

Service connections46,000

Primary water sourceGroundwater

Owner typeLocal government

Primacy agencyIN state drinking water program

City servedSouth Bend

StateIndiana

ZIP—

CountySt. Joseph County

How does South Bend Water Works compare with other water systems in St. Joseph County?

By EPA's size categories, South Bend Water Works is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). St. Joseph County has 221 active public water systems, and South Bend Water Works is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 116 times the county average of 989 people per system, and accounts for 53% of the 218,558 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Indiana, the 3,969 active systems average 1,456 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so South Bend Water Works is about 17 times 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. Indiana has 770 active community water systems, 19% of the state's 3,969 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 3,769 Indiana systems (95%) list groundwater as their primary source.

Who owns and regulates South Bend Water Works?

EPA lists South Bend Water Works as owned by a local government. The IN state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 21 of the 221 active systems in St. Joseph County (9.5%) are also owned by a local government.

Does South Bend Water Works have drinking water violations?

Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in November 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2002 and November 2025. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (2 of them). EPA lists 12 as resolved. 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.

Began	Violation	Contaminant or rule	Health-based	Status
2025-11-01	MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A	Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000	No	Resolved
2013-07-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27	Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950	No	Resolved
2013-07-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27	Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456	No	Resolved
2013-04-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27	Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950	No	Resolved
2013-04-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27	Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456	No	Resolved
2012-08-16	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34	E. colicode 3014	No	Resolved
2009-01-01	Monitoring and reportingWater Quality Parameter M/R · code 53	Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000	No	Resolved
2002-01-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03	Nickelcode 1036	No	Resolved
2002-01-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03	Seleniumcode 1045	No	Resolved
2002-01-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03	Berylliumcode 1075	No	Resolved
2002-01-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03	Mercurycode 1035	No	Resolved
2002-01-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03	Cyanidecode 1024	No	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.

South Bend Water Works: frequently asked questions

Who runs South Bend Water Works?

South Bend Water Works (PWSID IN5271014) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IN state drinking water program.

How many people does South Bend Water Works serve?

South Bend Water Works reports serving 115,000 people through 46,000 service connections in St. Joseph County, Indiana.

Where does South Bend Water Works 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 South Bend Water Works have any drinking water violations?

Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in November 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 South Bend Water Works' 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in November 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IN state drinking water program.

Where can I find South Bend Water Works' water quality report?

As a community water system, South Bend Water Works 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 St. Joseph County

Water system	County	Population served	Type	Source
Mishawaka Utilities	St. Joseph	49,675	Community	Groundwater
University of Notre Dame	St. Joseph	7,400	Community	Groundwater
Walkerton Light & Water	St. Joseph	2,262	Community	Groundwater
Sisters of Holy Cross-St. Marys College	St. Joseph	2,111	Community	Groundwater
North Liberty Water Works	St. Joseph	1,896	Community	Groundwater
New Carlisle Water Works	St. Joseph	1,861	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, “South Bend Water Works, PWSID IN5271014, Indiana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/indiana/south-bend-water-works-in5271014 (data as of October 1, 2026).