Public water system · MI0005210
ActivePaw Paw
At a glance
Paw Paw (PWSID MI0005210) is an active community water system in Van Buren County, Michigan. It reports serving 3,362 people through 1,152 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,362
Service connections
1,152
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Paw Paw compare with other water systems in Van Buren County?
By EPA's size categories, Paw Paw is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Van Buren County has 161 active public water systems, and Paw Paw is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 10 times the county average of 328 people per system, and accounts for 6.4% of the 52,765 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 Paw Paw is about half of 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 Paw Paw?
EPA lists Paw Paw 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. 10 of the 161 active systems in Van Buren County (6.2%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Paw Paw have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2022. The violations listed here began between March 1991 and December 2022. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (2 of them). EPA lists 8 as resolved and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-14 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1991-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1991-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
All 9 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.
Paw Paw: frequently asked questions
Who runs Paw Paw?
Paw Paw (PWSID MI0005210) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MI state drinking water program.
How many people does Paw Paw serve?
Paw Paw reports serving 3,362 people through 1,152 service connections in Van Buren County, Michigan.
Where does Paw Paw 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 Paw Paw have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2022. 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 Paw Paw'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 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2022. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MI state drinking water program.
Where can I find Paw Paw's water quality report?
As a community water system, Paw Paw 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 Van Buren County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Haven Area Water & Sewer Authority | Van Buren | 9,133 | Community | Surface water |
| Hartford | Van Buren | 2,688 | Community | Groundwater |
| Mattawan | Van Buren | 2,550 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bangor | Van Buren | 2,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lawton | Van Buren | 1,900 | Community | Groundwater |
| Decatur | Van Buren | 1,838 | 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, “Paw Paw, PWSID MI0005210, Michigan”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/michigan/paw-paw-mi0005210 (data as of October 1, 2026).