Public water system · OR4101243
ActiveCove, City of
At a glance
City of Cove (PWSID OR4101243) is an active community water system in Union County, Oregon. It reports serving 550 people through 312 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2020.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
550
Service connections
312
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Cove compare with other water systems in Union County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Cove is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Union County has 20 active public water systems, and City of Cove is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about half of the county average of 1,040 people per system, and accounts for 2.6% of the 20,797 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Oregon, the 2,536 active systems average 1,587 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Cove is well below 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. Oregon has 940 active community water systems, 37% of the state's 2,536 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 2,175 Oregon systems (86%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Cove?
EPA lists City of Cove as owned by a local government. The OR state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 7 of the 20 active systems in Union County (35%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Cove have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2020. The violations listed here began between December 1991 and June 2020. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting, 1 monitoring, 1 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-06-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-03-02 | Required treatment not metFailure to Filter (SWTR) · code 42 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1994-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1994-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1992-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1991-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | 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.
City of Cove: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Cove?
City of Cove (PWSID OR4101243) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the OR state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Cove serve?
City of Cove reports serving 550 people through 312 service connections in Union County, Oregon.
Where does City of Cove 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 City of Cove have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2020. 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 City of Cove'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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2020. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the OR state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Cove's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Cove 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 Union County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Grande, City of | Union | 13,460 | Community | Groundwater |
| Union, City of | Union | 2,162 | Community | Groundwater |
| Elgin Water Department | Union | 1,717 | Community | Groundwater |
| Island City | Union | 1,166 | Community | Groundwater |
| North Powder, City of | Union | 501 | Community | Groundwater |
| Imbler, City of | Union | 250 | 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, “Cove, City of, PWSID OR4101243, Oregon”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/oregon/cove-city-of-or4101243 (data as of October 1, 2026).