Public water system · NC0120444
ActiveLake Cherokee Recreation Area
At a glance
Lake Cherokee Recreation Area (PWSID NC0120444) is an active transient non-community water system in Cherokee County, North Carolina. It reports serving 25 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by the federal government. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Lake Cherokee Recreation Area compare with other water systems in Cherokee County?
By EPA's size categories, Lake Cherokee Recreation Area is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Cherokee County has 17 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 673 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% of the 11,445 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 Lake Cherokee Recreation 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 Lake Cherokee Recreation Area?
EPA lists Lake Cherokee Recreation 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. 1 of the 17 active systems in Cherokee County (5.9%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does Lake Cherokee Recreation Area have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015. The violations listed here began between January 2001 and April 2015. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 3 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) (3 of them). EPA lists 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-02-20 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-10-22 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-02-22 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
All 9 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.
Lake Cherokee Recreation Area: frequently asked questions
Who runs Lake Cherokee Recreation Area?
Lake Cherokee Recreation Area (PWSID NC0120444) 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 Lake Cherokee Recreation Area serve?
Lake Cherokee Recreation Area reports serving 25 people through 1 service connection in Cherokee County, North Carolina.
Where does Lake Cherokee Recreation 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 Lake Cherokee Recreation Area have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015. 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 Lake Cherokee Recreation 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 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Lake Cherokee Recreation Area's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Lake Cherokee Recreation 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 Cherokee County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murphy, Town of | Cherokee | 4,498 | Community | Surface water |
| Andrews, Town of | Cherokee | 3,284 | Community | Surface water |
| Marble Community Wtr System | Cherokee | 999 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bear Paw Resort | Cherokee | 909 | Community | Groundwater |
| Ranger Elem School | Cherokee | 350 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| The Mountain Folk Center | Cherokee | 300 | 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, “Lake Cherokee Recreation Area, PWSID NC0120444, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/lake-cherokee-recreation-area-nc0120444 (data as of October 1, 2026).