Public water system · NC0286030
ActiveDobson, Town of
At a glance
Town of Dobson (PWSID NC0286030) is an active community water system in Surry County, North Carolina. It reports serving 2,615 people through 1,096 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,615
Service connections
1,096
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Dobson compare with other water systems in Surry County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Dobson is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Surry County has 115 active public water systems, and Town of Dobson is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 9.7 times the county average of 268 people per system, and accounts for 8.5% of the 30,850 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 community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Town of Dobson is about 61% 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. North Carolina has 2,031 active community water systems, 40% of the state's 5,087 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 132 North Carolina systems (2.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Town of Dobson?
EPA lists Town of Dobson as owned by a local 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. 12 of the 115 active systems in Surry County (10%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Dobson have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between July 2012 and January 2026. By type: 7 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 3 monitoring and reporting, 1 required treatment not met and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Consumer Confidence Rule (7 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as addressed. 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. Addressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Addressed |
| 2024-10-17 | Required treatment not metLSL Inventory · code 2E | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-10-17 | ReportingLSL Reporting · code 4G | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | 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.
Town of Dobson: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Dobson?
Town of Dobson (PWSID NC0286030) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NC state drinking water program.
How many people does Town of Dobson serve?
Town of Dobson reports serving 2,615 people through 1,096 service connections in Surry County, North Carolina.
Where does Town of Dobson get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Town of Dobson have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 Town of Dobson'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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Town of Dobson's water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Dobson 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 Surry County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Airy, City of | Surry | 10,314 | Community | Surface water |
| Elkin, Town of | Surry | 4,076 | Community | Surface water |
| Pilot Mountain, Town of | Surry | 1,976 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Raven Knob Boy Scout Camp | Surry | 900 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Pilot Mountain St Pk Campground | Surry | 800 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Wedgewood/Town and Country Woods | Surry | 587 | 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, “Dobson, Town of, PWSID NC0286030, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/dobson-town-of-nc0286030 (data as of October 1, 2026).