Public water system · NY2013056
ActiveThe Bears Cottages
At a glance
The Bears Cottages (PWSID NY2013056) is an active transient non-community water system in Hamilton County, New York. It reports serving 35 people through 8 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
35
Service connections
8
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does The Bears Cottages compare with other water systems in Hamilton County?
By EPA's size categories, The Bears Cottages is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Hamilton County has 84 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 171 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% of the 14,324 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across New York, the 8,167 active systems average 2,374 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so The Bears Cottages 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 York has 5,182 active transient non-community water systems, 63% of the state's 8,167 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 7,096 New York systems (87%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates The Bears Cottages?
EPA lists The Bears Cottages as privately owned. The NY state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 62 of the 84 active systems in Hamilton County (74%) are also privately owned.
Does The Bears Cottages have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between July 2000 and July 2025. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting and 2 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-06-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Additional Routine (RTCR) · code 3B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | 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.
The Bears Cottages: frequently asked questions
Who runs The Bears Cottages?
The Bears Cottages (PWSID NY2013056) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the NY state drinking water program.
How many people does The Bears Cottages serve?
The Bears Cottages reports serving 35 people through 8 service connections in Hamilton County, New York.
Where does The Bears Cottages 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 The Bears Cottages 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 July 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 The Bears Cottages' 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 July 2025. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NY state drinking water program.
Where can I find The Bears Cottages' water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. The Bears Cottages 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 Hamilton County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speculator V | Hamilton | 2,008 | Community | Groundwater |
| Nys-Sacandaga Campsite | Hamilton | 1,350 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Moffitt Beach Spc | Hamilton | 900 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Indian Lake Wd | Hamilton | 900 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lewey Lake Spc | Hamilton | 836 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Long Lake Wd | Hamilton | 800 | Community | Surface water |
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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, “The Bears Cottages, PWSID NY2013056, New York”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-york/the-bears-cottages-ny2013056 (data as of October 1, 2026).