Public water system · NC0157424
ActiveCliffside Lake Rec Area
At a glance
Cliffside Lake Rec Area (PWSID NC0157424) is an active transient non-community water system in Macon County, North Carolina. It reports serving 100 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 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
100
Service connections
2
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Cliffside Lake Rec Area compare with other water systems in Macon County?
By EPA's size categories, Cliffside Lake Rec Area is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Macon County has 76 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 353 people per system, and accounts for 0.4% of the 26,860 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 Cliffside Lake Rec Area is about 31% 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 Cliffside Lake Rec Area?
EPA lists Cliffside Lake Rec 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. 7 of the 76 active systems in Macon County (9.2%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does Cliffside Lake Rec Area have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. The violations listed here began between January 1993 and April 2018. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting, 1 reporting, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 of them). EPA lists 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-07 | ReportingReport Startup Procedures Cert Form (RTCR) · code 4C | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-11-04 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2000-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitritecode 1041 | No | Resolved |
All 6 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.
Cliffside Lake Rec Area: frequently asked questions
Who runs Cliffside Lake Rec Area?
Cliffside Lake Rec Area (PWSID NC0157424) 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 Cliffside Lake Rec Area serve?
Cliffside Lake Rec Area reports serving 100 people through 2 service connections in Macon County, North Carolina.
Where does Cliffside Lake Rec 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 Cliffside Lake Rec Area have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. 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 Cliffside Lake Rec 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 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Cliffside Lake Rec Area's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Cliffside Lake Rec 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 Macon County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin, Town of | Macon | 9,650 | Community | Surface water |
| Highlands, Town of | Macon | 6,614 | Community | Surface water |
| Cullasaja Club | Macon | 800 | Community | Groundwater |
| Mill Creek Estates Property Owners Asso. | Macon | 676 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Highlands Falls Country Club | Macon | 650 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wildcat Cliffs Country Club | Macon | 445 | 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, “Cliffside Lake Rec Area, PWSID NC0157424, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/cliffside-lake-rec-area-nc0157424 (data as of October 1, 2026).