Public water system · NM3500327
ActiveRock Canyon Recreation Area
At a glance
Rock Canyon Recreation Area (PWSID NM3500327) is an active transient non-community water system in Sierra County, New Mexico. It reports serving 33 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a state government. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in May 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
33
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Rock Canyon Recreation Area compare with other water systems in Sierra County?
By EPA's size categories, Rock Canyon Recreation Area is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Sierra County has 21 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 550 people per system, and accounts for 0.3% of the 11,551 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 Rock Canyon Recreation Area is well 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 Rock Canyon Recreation Area?
EPA lists Rock Canyon Recreation Area as owned by a state 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. 5 of the 21 active systems in Sierra County (24%) are also owned by a state government.
Does Rock Canyon Recreation Area have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in May 2021. The violations listed here began between July 2006 and May 2021. By type: 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 2 monitoring, 2 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Public Notice (4 of them). EPA lists 8 as resolved and 1 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-05-21 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-03-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-20 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2010-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-10-12 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
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.
Rock Canyon Recreation Area: frequently asked questions
Who runs Rock Canyon Recreation Area?
Rock Canyon Recreation Area (PWSID NM3500327) is a transient non-community water system owned by a state government. It is regulated by the NM state drinking water program.
How many people does Rock Canyon Recreation Area serve?
Rock Canyon Recreation Area reports serving 33 people through 1 service connection in Sierra County, New Mexico.
Where does Rock Canyon Recreation Area 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 Rock Canyon Recreation Area have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in May 2021. 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 Rock Canyon Recreation Area'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; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in May 2021. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NM state drinking water program.
Where can I find Rock Canyon Recreation Area's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Rock Canyon Recreation Area 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 Sierra County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truth Or Consequences | Sierra | 6,783 | Community | Groundwater |
| Elephant Butte Water System | Sierra | 2,286 | Community | Groundwater |
| Elephant Butte, City of | Sierra | 1,350 | Community | Groundwater |
| Desert View Rv Park | Sierra | 220 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Hillsboro Mdwca | Sierra | 172 | Community | Groundwater |
| National Rcs Test Facility | Sierra | 100 | Non-transient non-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, “Rock Canyon Recreation Area, PWSID NM3500327, New Mexico”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-mexico/rock-canyon-recreation-area-nm3500327 (data as of October 1, 2026).