Public water system · NM3522013
ActiveTatum Municipal Water System
At a glance
Tatum Municipal Water System (PWSID NM3522013) is an active community water system in Lea County, New Mexico. It reports serving 948 people through 370 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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
948
Service connections
370
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Tatum Municipal Water System compare with other water systems in Lea County?
By EPA's size categories, Tatum Municipal Water System is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Lea County has 23 active public water systems, and Tatum Municipal Water System is the 6th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is well below the county average of 2,912 people per system, and accounts for 1.4% of the 66,976 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 community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Tatum Municipal Water System is well below 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. New Mexico has 645 active community water systems, 55% 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 Tatum Municipal Water System?
EPA lists Tatum Municipal Water System as owned by a local 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. 7 of the 23 active systems in Lea County (30%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Tatum Municipal Water System have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. The violations listed here began between October 2021 and February 2026. By type: 5 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 3 monitoring, 2 required treatment not met and 2 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Public Notice (5 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-25 | Required treatment not metFailure To Address Deficiency · code 45 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2026-02-25 | Required treatment not metFailure To Address Deficiency · code 45 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2024-09-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-03-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-02-20 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-02-20 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-02-20 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-02-20 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-10-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | 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.
Tatum Municipal Water System: frequently asked questions
Who runs Tatum Municipal Water System?
Tatum Municipal Water System (PWSID NM3522013) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NM state drinking water program.
How many people does Tatum Municipal Water System serve?
Tatum Municipal Water System reports serving 948 people through 370 service connections in Lea County, New Mexico.
Where does Tatum Municipal Water System 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 Tatum Municipal Water System have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. 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 Tatum Municipal Water System'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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NM state drinking water program.
Where can I find Tatum Municipal Water System's water quality report?
As a community water system, Tatum Municipal Water System 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 Lea County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobbs Municipal Water Supply | Lea | 40,418 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lovington Municipal Water Supply | Lea | 13,539 | Community | Groundwater |
| Jal Water Supply System | Lea | 5,500 | Community | Groundwater |
| Eunice Water Supply System | Lea | 4,487 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cowboy Junction Church | Lea | 950 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Monument Mdwca | Lea | 279 | 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, “Tatum Municipal Water System, PWSID NM3522013, New Mexico”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-mexico/tatum-municipal-water-system-nm3522013 (data as of October 1, 2026).