Public water system · MI0001355
ActiveChatham
At a glance
Chatham (PWSID MI0001355) is an active community water system in Alger County, Michigan. It reports serving 300 people through 132 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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
300
Service connections
132
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Chatham compare with other water systems in Alger County?
By EPA's size categories, Chatham is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Alger County has 85 active public water systems, and Chatham is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 161% above the county average of 115 people per system, and accounts for 3.1% of the 9,767 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 Chatham 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 Chatham?
EPA lists Chatham as owned by a local government. 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. 7 of the 85 active systems in Alger County (8.2%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Chatham have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2023 and October 2025. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting, 1 reporting and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (2 of them). EPA lists 8 as archived and 4 as resolved. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-11 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 2024-12-04 | ReportingLSL Reporting · code 4G | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-17 | Required treatment not metLSL Inventory · code 2E | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalatecode 2039 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Lindane (gamma-BHC)code 2010 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Aldicarbcode 2047 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorocyclopentadienecode 2042 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Aldicarb sulfoxidecode 2043 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Oxamylcode 2036 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Endrincode 2005 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzenecode 2378 | 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.
Chatham: frequently asked questions
Who runs Chatham?
Chatham (PWSID MI0001355) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MI state drinking water program.
How many people does Chatham serve?
Chatham reports serving 300 people through 132 service connections in Alger County, Michigan.
Where does Chatham 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 Chatham have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Chatham'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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MI state drinking water program.
Where can I find Chatham's water quality report?
As a community water system, Chatham 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 Alger County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munising | Alger | 2,783 | Community | Groundwater |
| Munising Industrial Park | Alger | 465 | Community | Groundwater |
| Burt Township | Alger | 411 | Community | Groundwater |
| Pictured Rocks Rv Park & Campground | Alger | 288 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Autrain Beach Campground | Alger | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Mdot - Grand Island Overlook, P238 | Alger | 200 | 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, “Chatham, PWSID MI0001355, Michigan”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/michigan/chatham-mi0001355 (data as of October 1, 2026).