Public water system · OK1021701
ActiveTahlequah Pwa
At a glance
Tahlequah Pwa (PWSID OK1021701) is an active community water system in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. It reports serving 14,458 people through 7,972 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, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
14,458
Service connections
7,972
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Tahlequah Pwa compare with other water systems in Cherokee County?
By EPA's size categories, Tahlequah Pwa is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Cherokee County has 36 active public water systems, and Tahlequah Pwa is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 15 times the county average of 972 people per system, and accounts for 41% of the 34,993 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Oklahoma, the 1,254 active systems average 2,907 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Tahlequah Pwa is about twice 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. Oklahoma has 864 active community water systems, 69% of the state's 1,254 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 175 Oklahoma systems (14%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Tahlequah Pwa?
EPA lists Tahlequah Pwa as owned by a local government. The OK state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 14 of the 36 active systems in Cherokee County (39%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Tahlequah Pwa have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. The violations listed here began between April 2019 and October 2024. By type: 4 required treatment not met, 4 contaminant level above the legal limit, 3 monitoring and reporting and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Haloacetic acids (HAA5) (5 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Asbestoscode 1094 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-06-30 | Monitoring and reportingFailure Submit IDSE/Subpart V Plan Rpt · code 35 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-10-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Archived |
| 2019-10-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-09-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Archived |
| 2019-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | 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.
Tahlequah Pwa: frequently asked questions
Who runs Tahlequah Pwa?
Tahlequah Pwa (PWSID OK1021701) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the OK state drinking water program.
How many people does Tahlequah Pwa serve?
Tahlequah Pwa reports serving 14,458 people through 7,972 service connections in Cherokee County, Oklahoma.
Where does Tahlequah Pwa 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 Tahlequah Pwa have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. 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 Tahlequah Pwa'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, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the OK state drinking water program.
Where can I find Tahlequah Pwa's water quality report?
As a community water system, Tahlequah Pwa 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 Cherokee County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Co. Rwd #11 | Cherokee | 3,395 | Community | Surface water |
| Stickross Mountain Water Co | Cherokee | 3,250 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Cherokee Co. Rwd #3 (Grandview) | Cherokee | 2,300 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Peggs Water Company | Cherokee | 1,925 | Community | Surface water |
| Cherokee Co. Rwd #13 | Cherokee | 1,640 | Community | Surface water |
| Cherokee Co. Rwd #2 (Keys) | Cherokee | 1,493 | Community | Surface water |
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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, “Tahlequah Pwa, PWSID OK1021701, Oklahoma”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/oklahoma/tahlequah-pwa-ok1021701 (data as of October 1, 2026).