Public water system · NC1050056
ActiveBalsam Lake Day Use Area
At a glance
Balsam Lake Day Use Area (PWSID NC1050056) is an active transient non-community water system in Jackson County, North Carolina. It reports serving 25 people through 2 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by the federal government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25
Service connections
2
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Balsam Lake Day Use Area compare with other water systems in Jackson County?
By EPA's size categories, Balsam Lake Day Use Area is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Jackson County has 111 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 319 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 35,403 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across North Carolina, the 5,087 active systems average 1,971 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Balsam Lake Day Use 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. North Carolina has 2,745 active transient non-community water systems, 54% of the state's 5,087 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 4,566 North Carolina systems (90%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Balsam Lake Day Use Area?
EPA lists Balsam Lake Day Use Area as owned by the federal government. The NC state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 2 of the 111 active systems in Jackson County (1.8%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does Balsam Lake Day Use Area have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016. The violations listed here began between July 2007 and August 2016. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-08-03 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-08-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Additional Routine (RTCR) · code 3B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2009-07-18 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-04-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-02-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 10 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.
Balsam Lake Day Use Area: frequently asked questions
Who runs Balsam Lake Day Use Area?
Balsam Lake Day Use Area (PWSID NC1050056) is a transient non-community water system owned by the federal government. It is regulated by the NC state drinking water program.
How many people does Balsam Lake Day Use Area serve?
Balsam Lake Day Use Area reports serving 25 people through 2 service connections in Jackson County, North Carolina.
Where does Balsam Lake Day Use 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 Balsam Lake Day Use Area have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016. 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 Balsam Lake Day Use 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 10 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Balsam Lake Day Use Area's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Balsam Lake Day Use 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 Jackson County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Carolina Univ WTP | Jackson | 7,800 | Community | Surface water |
| Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Auth | Jackson | 7,528 | Community | Surface water |
| Fairfield Sapphire | Jackson | 3,873 | Community | Groundwater |
| Whiteside Brewing Company | Jackson | 850 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Hh Water, LLC | Jackson | 770 | Community | Groundwater |
| Great Smoky Mountain Camp & Rv Park | Jackson | 638 | 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, “Balsam Lake Day Use Area, PWSID NC1050056, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/balsam-lake-day-use-area-nc1050056 (data as of October 1, 2026).