Public water system · NC0181613
ActiveThe Mason Jar
At a glance
The Mason Jar (PWSID NC0181613) is an active transient non-community water system in Rutherford County, North Carolina. It reports serving 300 people through 2 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2007.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
300
Service connections
2
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does The Mason Jar compare with other water systems in Rutherford County?
By EPA's size categories, The Mason Jar is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Rutherford County has 60 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 929 people per system, and accounts for 0.5% of the 55,748 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 The Mason Jar is about twice 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 The Mason Jar?
EPA lists The Mason Jar 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. 52 of the 60 active systems in Rutherford County (87%) are also privately owned.
Does The Mason Jar have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2007. The violations listed here began between January 2001 and August 2007. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting and 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08-31 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-04-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-02-16 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-11-09 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | 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.
The Mason Jar: frequently asked questions
Who runs The Mason Jar?
The Mason Jar (PWSID NC0181613) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the NC state drinking water program.
How many people does The Mason Jar serve?
The Mason Jar reports serving 300 people through 2 service connections in Rutherford County, North Carolina.
Where does The Mason Jar 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 The Mason Jar have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2007. 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 The Mason Jar'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; none is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2007. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find The Mason Jar's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. The Mason Jar 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 Rutherford County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City, Town of | Rutherford | 21,521 | Community | Surface water |
| Broad River Water Authority | Rutherford | 18,242 | Community | Surface water |
| Ellenboro Town of | Rutherford | 2,322 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Concord Comm Water System | Rutherford | 1,867 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Fairfield Mountains No 1 | Rutherford | 1,798 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lake Lure, Town of | Rutherford | 1,176 | 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, “The Mason Jar, PWSID NC0181613, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/the-mason-jar-nc0181613 (data as of October 1, 2026).