Public water system · NM3580133
ActiveEl Malpais National Monument
At a glance
El Malpais National Monument (PWSID NM3580133) is an active transient non-community water system in Cibola County, New Mexico. It reports serving 50 people through 4 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by the federal government. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
50
Service connections
4
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does El Malpais National Monument compare with other water systems in Cibola County?
By EPA's size categories, El Malpais National Monument is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Cibola County has 18 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,117 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% of the 20,114 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across New Mexico, the 1,165 active systems average 1,885 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so El Malpais National Monument is about 65% below that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
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. New Mexico has 369 active transient non-community water systems, 32% of the state's 1,165 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,009 New Mexico systems (87%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates El Malpais National Monument?
EPA lists El Malpais National Monument as owned by the federal government. The NM state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 3 of the 18 active systems in Cibola County (17%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does El Malpais National Monument have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2004 and January 2025. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 1 required treatment not met and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate-Nitrite (3 of them). EPA lists 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-31 | Required treatment not metFailure To Address Deficiency · code 45 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-11-05 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherFailure to Consult with State · code 20 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Archived |
All 6 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.
El Malpais National Monument: frequently asked questions
Who runs El Malpais National Monument?
El Malpais National Monument (PWSID NM3580133) is a transient non-community water system owned by the federal government. It is regulated by the NM state drinking water program.
How many people does El Malpais National Monument serve?
El Malpais National Monument reports serving 50 people through 4 service connections in Cibola County, New Mexico.
Where does El Malpais National Monument 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 El Malpais National Monument have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 El Malpais National Monument'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 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NM state drinking water program.
Where can I find El Malpais National Monument's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. El Malpais National Monument is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in Cibola County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants Domestic Water System | Cibola | 10,523 | Community | Groundwater |
| Milan Community Water System | Cibola | 3,409 | Community | Groundwater |
| Acomita Rest Area | Cibola | 2,501 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| San Rafael Water & Sanitation District | Cibola | 1,060 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bluewater Water and Sanitation District | Cibola | 492 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bluewater Acres Wua | Cibola | 331 | 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, “El Malpais National Monument, PWSID NM3580133, New Mexico”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-mexico/el-malpais-national-monument-nm3580133 (data as of October 1, 2026).