Public water system · OR4100414
ActiveJoseph, City of
At a glance
City of Joseph (PWSID OR4100414) is an active community water system in Wallowa County, Oregon. It reports serving 1,182 people through 750 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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,182
Service connections
750
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Joseph compare with other water systems in Wallowa County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Joseph is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Wallowa County has 9 active public water systems, and City of Joseph is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 595 people per system, and accounts for 22% of the 5,359 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 Joseph 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 211 Oregon systems (8.3%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Joseph?
EPA lists City of Joseph 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. 5 of the 9 active systems in Wallowa County (56%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Joseph have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2024. The violations listed here began between October 2018 and July 2024. By type: 8 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 1 monitoring and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Surface Water Treatment Rule (5 of them). EPA lists 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-08-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-07-25 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-02-11 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique No Certif. Operator · code 12 | Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rulecode 0400 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | 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 Joseph: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Joseph?
City of Joseph (PWSID OR4100414) 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 Joseph serve?
City of Joseph reports serving 1,182 people through 750 service connections in Wallowa County, Oregon.
Where does City of Joseph 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 City of Joseph have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 City of Joseph'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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2024. 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 Joseph's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Joseph 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 Wallowa County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise, City of | Wallowa | 2,107 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wallowa, City of | Wallowa | 840 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wallowa Lake Co Service Dist | Wallowa | 350 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lostine, City of | Wallowa | 350 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wallowa Lake Tramway | Wallowa | 300 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Lakeshore Wtr & Develop Co-Op | Wallowa | 165 | Transient non-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, “Joseph, City of, PWSID OR4100414, Oregon”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/oregon/joseph-city-of-or4100414 (data as of October 1, 2026).