Public water system · ME0090710
ActiveHowland Water Department
At a glance
Howland Water Department (PWSID ME0090710) is an active community water system in Penobscot County, Maine. It reports serving 1,025 people through 410 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased 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 January 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,025
Service connections
410
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Howland Water Department compare with other water systems in Penobscot County?
By EPA's size categories, Howland Water Department is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Penobscot County has 169 active public water systems. Its population served is about 87% above the county average of 547 people per system, and accounts for 1.1% of the 92,416 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Maine, the 1,862 active systems average 503 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Howland Water Department 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. Maine has 386 active community water systems, 21% of the state's 1,862 active systems. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 9 Maine systems (0.5%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Howland Water Department?
EPA lists Howland Water Department as owned by a local government. 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. 37 of the 169 active systems in Penobscot County (22%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Howland Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2023. The violations listed here began between December 1997 and January 2023. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Archived |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1997-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1997-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | 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.
Howland Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Howland Water Department?
Howland Water Department (PWSID ME0090710) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the ME state drinking water program.
How many people does Howland Water Department serve?
Howland Water Department reports serving 1,025 people through 410 service connections in Penobscot County, Maine.
Where does Howland Water Department get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Howland Water Department 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 January 2023. 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 Howland Water Department'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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2023. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the ME state drinking water program.
Where can I find Howland Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Howland Water Department 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 Penobscot County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor Water District | Penobscot | 27,298 | Community | Surface water |
| Brewer Water Department | Penobscot | 8,860 | Community | Surface water |
| Old Town Water District | Penobscot | 7,648 | Community | Groundwater |
| Orono-Veazie Water District | Penobscot | 5,793 | Community | Groundwater |
| Maine Water Company Millinocket Division | Penobscot | 5,400 | Community | Surface water |
| Hampden Water District | Penobscot | 4,628 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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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, “Howland Water Department, PWSID ME0090710, Maine”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/maine/howland-water-department-me0090710 (data as of October 1, 2026).