Public water system · MI0000725
ActiveBirchwood Farms
At a glance
Birchwood Farms (PWSID MI0000725) is an active community water system in Emmet County, Michigan. It reports serving 1,227 people through 412 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,227
Service connections
412
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Birchwood Farms compare with other water systems in Emmet County?
By EPA's size categories, Birchwood Farms is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Emmet County has 198 active public water systems, and Birchwood Farms is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 6.4 times the county average of 192 people per system, and accounts for 3.2% of the 38,096 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Michigan, the 10,599 active systems average 847 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Birchwood Farms 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. Michigan has 1,332 active community water systems, 13% of the state's 10,599 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 10,214 Michigan systems (96%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Birchwood Farms?
EPA lists Birchwood Farms as privately owned. The MI state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 188 of the 198 active systems in Emmet County (95%) are also privately owned.
Does Birchwood Farms have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2019. The violations listed here began between May 1996 and April 2019. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 7 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.
Birchwood Farms: frequently asked questions
Who runs Birchwood Farms?
Birchwood Farms (PWSID MI0000725) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MI state drinking water program.
How many people does Birchwood Farms serve?
Birchwood Farms reports serving 1,227 people through 412 service connections in Emmet County, Michigan.
Where does Birchwood Farms 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 Birchwood Farms have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2019. 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 Birchwood Farms' 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 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MI state drinking water program.
Where can I find Birchwood Farms' water quality report?
As a community water system, Birchwood Farms 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 Emmet County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petoskey, City of | Emmet | 8,979 | Community | Groundwater |
| Pleasant View Ez Mart | Emmet | 1,500 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Harbor Springs, City of | Emmet | 1,194 | Community | Groundwater |
| Little Traverse Township | Emmet | 1,102 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bay View Association | Emmet | 831 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell | Emmet | 700 | Transient non-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, “Birchwood Farms, PWSID MI0000725, Michigan”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/michigan/birchwood-farms-mi0000725 (data as of October 1, 2026).