Public water system · PA7360123
ActiveColumbia Water Co
At a glance
Columbia Water Co (PWSID PA7360123) is an active community water system in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It reports serving 25,200 people through 10,648 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25,200
Service connections
10,648
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Columbia Water Co compare with other water systems in Lancaster County?
By EPA's size categories, Columbia Water Co is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Lancaster County has 402 active public water systems, and Columbia Water Co is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 25 times the county average of 1,008 people per system, and accounts for 6.2% of the 405,283 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Pennsylvania, the 7,217 active systems average 1,741 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Columbia Water Co is about 3.8 times 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. Pennsylvania has 1,762 active community water systems, 24% of the state's 7,217 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 246 Pennsylvania systems (3.4%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Columbia Water Co?
EPA lists Columbia Water Co as privately owned. The PA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 292 of the 402 active systems in Lancaster County (73%) are also privately owned.
Does Columbia Water Co have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. The violations listed here began between April 2016 and March 2026. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting, 2 required treatment not met and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Carbon, total (4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | ReportingReport Sample Result/Fail Monitor (RTCR) · code 4B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Unfilt/GWR) · code 31 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-01-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique Precursor Removal · code 46 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), totalcode 2383 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), totalcode 2383 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-04-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique Precursor Removal · code 46 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | 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.
Columbia Water Co: frequently asked questions
Who runs Columbia Water Co?
Columbia Water Co (PWSID PA7360123) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the PA state drinking water program.
How many people does Columbia Water Co serve?
Columbia Water Co reports serving 25,200 people through 10,648 service connections in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Where does Columbia Water Co 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 Columbia Water Co 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 March 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 Columbia Water Co'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 March 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the PA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Columbia Water Co's water quality report?
As a community water system, Columbia Water Co 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 Lancaster County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Lancaster | Lancaster | 120,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Ephrata Area Joint Authority | Lancaster | 24,500 | Community | Surface water |
| East Hempfield Water Auth | Lancaster | 20,988 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Elizabethtown Area Water | Lancaster | 19,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Mt Joy Boro Auth | Lancaster | 15,261 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| Lititz Boro | Lancaster | 9,397 | Community | Groundwater under influence of 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, “Columbia Water Co, PWSID PA7360123, Pennsylvania”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/pennsylvania/columbia-water-co-pa7360123 (data as of October 1, 2026).