Carter County, Missouri — public water systems
At a glance
9 active public water systems are filed under Carter County, Missouri in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 3,732 people served. The largest is Van Buren Pws, which reports serving 819 people. 6 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 3 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
9
Population served
3.7K
Community systems
6
Groundwater share
100%
How does Carter County compare with other Missouri counties?
Carter County has the 77th-most active public water systems among the 182 counties listed for active Missouri systems in EPA records; among the 132 with 3 or more systems, the median has 13. Its systems report 3,732 people served in total, the 117th-largest county figure in the state and less than 0.1% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 415 people, well below the Missouri average of 2,049. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Carter County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Carter County's active systems draw on groundwater (8, 89%) and purchased groundwater (1, 11%). Overall, all rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and none on surface water, compared with 92% and 8.1% across Missouri. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. The county's largest system, Van Buren Pws, draws primarily on groundwater.
What kinds of water systems operate in Carter County?
Carter County's active systems break down as 6 community systems (67%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (11%) and 2 transient non-community systems (22%). 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. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. EPA lists their owner types as local government (56%), private (33%) and federal government (11%).
Water systems in Carter County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Van Buren Pws | Carter | 819 | Community | Groundwater |
| 2 | Deer Run Reorganized Common Sewer Dist | Carter | 700 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 3 | Carter County Pwsd 1 | Carter | 600 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Ozark Natl River Big Spring | Carter | 500 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Ellsinore Pws | Carter | 500 | Community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Grandin Pws | Carter | 240 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Simmons Grocery & Hardware | Carter | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Royal Oak Enterp LLC Ellsinore Plant | Carter | 123 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 9 | Carter County Pwsd 2 | Carter | 50 | Community | Groundwater |
Carter County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Carter County, Missouri?
EPA's SDWIS records file 9 active public water systems under Carter County, Missouri: 6 community systems (67%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (11%) and 2 transient non-community systems (22%).
Who supplies drinking water in Carter County, MO?
The largest community water systems filed under Carter County are Van Buren Pws (819 people served), Deer Run Reorganized Common Sewer Dist (700 people served) and Carter County Pwsd 1 (600 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Carter County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 9 active public water systems in Carter County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Van Buren Pws, uses groundwater.
Where can I find a water quality report for Carter County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 6 community systems are filed under Carter County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Carter County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Missouri water systems
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, “Public water systems in Carter County, Missouri”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/missouri/carter (data as of October 1, 2026).