Public water system · NC0156459
ActiveCatawba Falls Campground
At a glance
Catawba Falls Campground (PWSID NC0156459) is an active transient non-community water system in McDowell County, North Carolina. It reports serving 50 people through 30 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2005.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
50
Service connections
30
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Catawba Falls Campground compare with other water systems in McDowell County?
By EPA's size categories, Catawba Falls Campground is a very small system (500 people or fewer). McDowell County has 94 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 291 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% of the 27,345 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 Catawba Falls Campground 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. 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 Catawba Falls Campground?
EPA lists Catawba Falls Campground as privately owned. 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. 87 of the 94 active systems in McDowell County (93%) are also privately owned.
Does Catawba Falls Campground have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2005. The violations listed here began between April 2000 and April 2005. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (9 of them). EPA lists 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-04-11 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-10-21 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 11 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.
Catawba Falls Campground: frequently asked questions
Who runs Catawba Falls Campground?
Catawba Falls Campground (PWSID NC0156459) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the NC state drinking water program.
How many people does Catawba Falls Campground serve?
Catawba Falls Campground reports serving 50 people through 30 service connections in McDowell County, North Carolina.
Where does Catawba Falls Campground 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 Catawba Falls Campground have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2005. 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 Catawba Falls Campground'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 11 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2005. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Catawba Falls Campground's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Catawba Falls Campground 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 McDowell County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion, City of | McDowell | 9,362 | Community | Surface water |
| Baxter Health Care Corp | McDowell | 2,450 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Old Fort, Town of | McDowell | 1,700 | Community | Groundwater |
| Mcdowell Co--Nebo | McDowell | 902 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Riverside Convenience Store | McDowell | 500 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| New North Cove Elem School | McDowell | 450 | 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, “Catawba Falls Campground, PWSID NC0156459, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/catawba-falls-campground-nc0156459 (data as of October 1, 2026).