Public water system · MI0002280
ActiveFerndale
At a glance
Ferndale (PWSID MI0002280) is an active community water system in Oakland County, Michigan. It reports serving 22,105 people through 10,250 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
22,105
Service connections
10,250
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Ferndale compare with other water systems in Oakland County?
By EPA's size categories, Ferndale is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Oakland County has 734 active public water systems. Its population served is about 14 times the county average of 1,561 people per system, and accounts for 1.9% of the 1,145,905 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 Ferndale is about 3.3 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. Michigan has 1,332 active community water systems, 13% of the state's 10,599 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 262 Michigan systems (2.5%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Ferndale?
EPA lists Ferndale 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. 56 of the 734 active systems in Oakland County (7.6%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Ferndale have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between April 2013 and October 2025. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting, 1 reporting and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-11 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-11-30 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | 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 |
All 5 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.
Ferndale: frequently asked questions
Who runs Ferndale?
Ferndale (PWSID MI0002280) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MI state drinking water program.
How many people does Ferndale serve?
Ferndale reports serving 22,105 people through 10,250 service connections in Oakland County, Michigan.
Where does Ferndale get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Ferndale have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 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 Ferndale'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 5 violations for this system; 1 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 Ferndale's water quality report?
As a community water system, Ferndale 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 Oakland County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | Oakland | 85,854 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Rochester Hills | Oakland | 74,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Waterford Township | Oakland | 73,441 | Community | Groundwater |
| Southfield | Oakland | 71,739 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Pontiac | Oakland | 63,776 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Royal Oak, City of | Oakland | 57,236 | 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, “Ferndale, PWSID MI0002280, Michigan”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/michigan/ferndale-mi0002280 (data as of October 1, 2026).