Public water system · OR4191915
ActiveMerlin Alternative Center
At a glance
Merlin Alternative Center (PWSID OR4191915) is an active non-transient non-community water system in Josephine County, Oregon. It reports serving 50 people through 1 service connection. 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 January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
50
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
NTNCWS
Non-transient non-community water system
System record
How does Merlin Alternative Center compare with other water systems in Josephine County?
By EPA's size categories, Merlin Alternative Center is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Josephine County has 150 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 403 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 60,442 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Oregon, the 2,536 active systems average 1,587 people each. Nationally, the average active non-transient non-community water system reports serving 430 people, so Merlin Alternative Center is well below that figure.
What does “non-transient non-community water system” mean?
A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. Oregon has 346 active non-transient non-community water systems, 14% 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 Merlin Alternative Center?
EPA lists Merlin Alternative Center 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. 32 of the 150 active systems in Josephine County (21%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Merlin Alternative Center have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between July 2021 and January 2026. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting and 2 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-01-01 | Required treatment not metWQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance · code 59 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Required treatment not metWQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance · code 59 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | 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.
Merlin Alternative Center: frequently asked questions
Who runs Merlin Alternative Center?
Merlin Alternative Center (PWSID OR4191915) is a non-transient non-community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the OR state drinking water program.
How many people does Merlin Alternative Center serve?
Merlin Alternative Center reports serving 50 people through 1 service connection in Josephine County, Oregon.
Where does Merlin Alternative Center 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 Merlin Alternative Center 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 January 2026. 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 Merlin Alternative Center'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 January 2026. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the OR state drinking water program.
Where can I find Merlin Alternative Center's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Merlin Alternative Center is a non-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 Josephine County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants Pass, City of | Josephine | 37,138 | Community | Surface water |
| Rogue Community College | Josephine | 2,400 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| Cave Junction, City of | Josephine | 2,160 | Community | Surface water |
| Ote Manzanita Rest Area | Josephine | 1,200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Hidden Valley High | Josephine | 546 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Lil Pantry Xpress Merlin | Josephine | 512 | 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, “Merlin Alternative Center, PWSID OR4191915, Oregon”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/oregon/merlin-alternative-center-or4191915 (data as of October 1, 2026).