Public water system · MS0440003
ActiveColumbus Light & Water
At a glance
Columbus Light & Water (PWSID MS0440003) is an active community water system in Lowndes County, Mississippi. It reports serving 23,616 people through 10,553 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2008.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
23,616
Service connections
10,553
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Columbus Light & Water compare with other water systems in Lowndes County?
By EPA's size categories, Columbus Light & Water is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Lowndes County has 14 active public water systems, and Columbus Light & Water is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 4.9 times the county average of 4,789 people per system, and accounts for 35% of the 67,039 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Mississippi, the 1,133 active systems average 2,832 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Columbus Light & Water is about 3.5 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. Mississippi has 947 active community water systems, 84% of the state's 1,133 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,053 Mississippi systems (93%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Columbus Light & Water?
EPA lists Columbus Light & Water as owned by a local government. The MS state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 4 of the 14 active systems in Lowndes County (29%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Columbus Light & Water have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2008. The violations listed here began between April 2008 and October 2008. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) (4 of them). EPA lists 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | 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.
Columbus Light & Water: frequently asked questions
Who runs Columbus Light & Water?
Columbus Light & Water (PWSID MS0440003) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MS state drinking water program.
How many people does Columbus Light & Water serve?
Columbus Light & Water reports serving 23,616 people through 10,553 service connections in Lowndes County, Mississippi.
Where does Columbus Light & Water 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 Columbus Light & Water 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 October 2008. 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 Columbus Light & Water'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 October 2008. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MS state drinking water program.
Where can I find Columbus Light & Water's water quality report?
As a community water system, Columbus Light & Water 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 Lowndes County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lowndes W/A B West-Old Yorkville Rd | Lowndes | 7,355 | Community | Groundwater |
| East Lowndes W/A #2-Huckleberry | Lowndes | 7,035 | Community | Groundwater |
| Town of Caledonia | Lowndes | 6,589 | Community | Groundwater |
| East Lowndes #4-Herman-Vaughn | Lowndes | 5,678 | Community | Groundwater |
| East Lowndes W/A A East-Old Yorkville | Lowndes | 4,778 | Community | Groundwater |
| Columbus Air Force Base | Lowndes | 3,300 | Community | Purchased 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, “Columbus Light & Water, PWSID MS0440003, Mississippi”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/mississippi/columbus-light-water-ms0440003 (data as of October 1, 2026).