Public water system · NC0138408
ActiveTsali Recreational Area
At a glance
Tsali Recreational Area (PWSID NC0138408) is an active transient non-community water system in Graham County, North Carolina. It reports serving 25 people through 10 service connections. 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 January 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25
Service connections
10
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Tsali Recreational Area compare with other water systems in Graham County?
By EPA's size categories, Tsali Recreational Area is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Graham County has 36 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 169 people per system, and accounts for 0.4% of the 6,073 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 Tsali Recreational 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 Tsali Recreational Area?
EPA lists Tsali Recreational 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. 4 of the 36 active systems in Graham County (11%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does Tsali Recreational Area have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2019. The violations listed here began between June 1992 and January 2019. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 2 reporting, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 8 as resolved and 1 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-03-30 | ReportingReport Startup Procedures Cert Form (RTCR) · code 4C | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-11-11 | ReportingReport Sample Result/Fail Monitor (RTCR) · code 4B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-07-09 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1992-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
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.
Tsali Recreational Area: frequently asked questions
Who runs Tsali Recreational Area?
Tsali Recreational Area (PWSID NC0138408) 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 Tsali Recreational Area serve?
Tsali Recreational Area reports serving 25 people through 10 service connections in Graham County, North Carolina.
Where does Tsali Recreational 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 Tsali Recreational 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 January 2019. 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 Tsali Recreational 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 January 2019. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NC state drinking water program.
Where can I find Tsali Recreational Area's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Tsali Recreational 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 Graham County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robbinsville, Town of | Graham | 2,916 | Community | Surface water |
| Town of Fontana Dam | Graham | 950 | Community | Surface water |
| Lake Santeetlah, Town of | Graham | 498 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cheoah Point Rec Area | Graham | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Tobacco Branch Village | Graham | 163 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cedar Cliff Baptist Church | Graham | 125 | 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, “Tsali Recreational Area, PWSID NC0138408, North Carolina”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-carolina/tsali-recreational-area-nc0138408 (data as of October 1, 2026).