Public water system · ME0098238
ActiveBirch Island Water System
At a glance
Birch Island Water System (PWSID ME0098238) is an active transient non-community water system in Cumberland County, Maine. It reports serving 53 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
53
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Birch Island Water System compare with other water systems in Cumberland County?
By EPA's size categories, Birch Island Water System is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Cumberland County has 225 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 967 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 217,594 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Maine, the 1,862 active systems average 503 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Birch Island Water System is about 63% 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. Maine has 1,091 active transient non-community water systems, 59% of the state's 1,862 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,780 Maine systems (96%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Birch Island Water System?
EPA lists Birch Island Water System as privately owned. The ME state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 197 of the 225 active systems in Cumberland County (88%) are also privately owned.
Does Birch Island Water System have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. The violations listed here began between January 1994 and September 2025. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 1 reporting, 1 monitoring and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (7 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-01 | ReportingReport Sample Result/Fail Monitor (RTCR) · code 4B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1999-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1997-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1995-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1995-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1995-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1994-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 10 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.
Birch Island Water System: frequently asked questions
Who runs Birch Island Water System?
Birch Island Water System (PWSID ME0098238) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the ME state drinking water program.
How many people does Birch Island Water System serve?
Birch Island Water System reports serving 53 people through 1 service connection in Cumberland County, Maine.
Where does Birch Island Water System 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 Birch Island Water System have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in September 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 Birch Island Water System'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 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the ME state drinking water program.
Where can I find Birch Island Water System's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Birch Island Water System 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 Cumberland County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Water District-Greater | Cumberland | 135,068 | Community | Surface water |
| Brunswick/Topsham Water District | Cumberland | 18,863 | Community | Groundwater |
| Yarmouth Water District | Cumberland | 8,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bridgton Water District | Cumberland | 3,660 | Community | Groundwater |
| Maine Water Company Freeport Division | Cumberland | 2,700 | Community | Groundwater |
| Gray Water District | Cumberland | 2,468 | 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, “Birch Island Water System, PWSID ME0098238, Maine”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/maine/birch-island-water-system-me0098238 (data as of October 1, 2026).