Public water system · NC0156530
ActiveLake James State Park - Catawba
At a glance
Lake James State Park - Catawba (PWSID NC0156530) is an active transient non-community water system in McDowell County, North Carolina. It reports serving 200 people through 13 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a state government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2005.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
200
Service connections
13
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Lake James State Park - Catawba compare with other water systems in McDowell County?
By EPA's size categories, Lake James State Park - Catawba is a very small system (500 people or fewer). McDowell County has 94 active public water systems. Its population served is about 31% below the county average of 291 people per system, and accounts for 0.7% 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 Lake James State Park - Catawba is about 39% above 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 James State Park - Catawba?
EPA lists Lake James State Park - Catawba as owned by a state 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 94 active systems in McDowell County (1.1%) are also owned by a state government.
Does Lake James State Park - Catawba have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2005. The violations listed here began between January 2000 and January 2005. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2000-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 5 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 James State Park - Catawba: frequently asked questions
Who runs Lake James State Park - Catawba?
Lake James State Park - Catawba (PWSID NC0156530) is a transient non-community water system owned by a state government. It is regulated by the NC state drinking water program.
How many people does Lake James State Park - Catawba serve?
Lake James State Park - Catawba reports serving 200 people through 13 service connections in McDowell County, North Carolina.
Where does Lake James State Park - Catawba 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 James State Park - Catawba have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 Lake James State Park - Catawba'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 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2005. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Lake James State Park - Catawba's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Lake James State Park - Catawba 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, “Lake James State Park - Catawba, PWSID NC0156530, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/lake-james-state-park-catawba-nc0156530 (data as of October 1, 2026).