Public water system · PA1150026
ActiveDowningtown Water Authority
At a glance
Downingtown Water Authority (PWSID PA1150026) is an active community water system in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It reports serving 9,900 people through 3,681 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
9,900
Service connections
3,681
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Downingtown Water Authority compare with other water systems in Chester County?
By EPA's size categories, Downingtown Water Authority is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Chester County has 254 active public water systems, and Downingtown Water Authority is the 6th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 8.5 times the county average of 1,167 people per system, and accounts for 3.3% of the 296,348 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 Downingtown Water Authority is about 48% above 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 Downingtown Water Authority?
EPA lists Downingtown Water Authority as owned by a local government. 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. 24 of the 254 active systems in Chester County (9.4%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Downingtown Water Authority have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2023 and September 2025. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Trichloroethylene and Benzene. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Benzenecode 2990 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2380 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Xylenes, Totalcode 2955 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2979 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1-Dichloroethylenecode 2977 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dichloromethanecode 2964 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | o-Dichlorobenzenecode 2968 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzenecode 2378 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Carbon tetrachloridecode 2982 | 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.
Downingtown Water Authority: frequently asked questions
Who runs Downingtown Water Authority?
Downingtown Water Authority (PWSID PA1150026) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the PA state drinking water program.
How many people does Downingtown Water Authority serve?
Downingtown Water Authority reports serving 9,900 people through 3,681 service connections in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Where does Downingtown Water Authority 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 Downingtown Water Authority have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. 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 Downingtown Water Authority'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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the PA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Downingtown Water Authority's water quality report?
As a community water system, Downingtown Water Authority 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 Chester County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pa American Royersford | Chester | 49,508 | Community | Surface water |
| Aqua Pa West Chester | Chester | 48,600 | Community | Surface water |
| Pa American Coatesville | Chester | 36,960 | Community | Surface water |
| Aqua Pa Uwchlan | Chester | 35,518 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Phoenixville Water Dept | Chester | 16,599 | Community | Surface water |
| Aqua Pa Friendship | Chester | 8,800 | 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, “Downingtown Water Authority, PWSID PA1150026, Pennsylvania”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/pennsylvania/downingtown-water-authority-pa1150026 (data as of October 1, 2026).