Public water system · PA7360045
ActiveEphrata Area Joint Authority
At a glance
Ephrata Area Joint Authority (PWSID PA7360045) is an active community water system in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It reports serving 24,500 people through 8,607 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 October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
24,500
Service connections
8,607
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Ephrata Area Joint Authority compare with other water systems in Lancaster County?
By EPA's size categories, Ephrata Area Joint Authority is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Lancaster County has 402 active public water systems, and Ephrata Area Joint Authority is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 24 times the county average of 1,008 people per system, and accounts for 6% 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 Ephrata Area Joint Authority is about 3.7 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 Ephrata Area Joint Authority?
EPA lists Ephrata Area Joint 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. 34 of the 402 active systems in Lancaster County (8.5%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Ephrata Area Joint Authority have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between April 2012 and October 2025. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Carbon, total (3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Radium-228code 4030 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Radium-226code 4020 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-04-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique Precursor Removal · code 46 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | o-Dichlorobenzenecode 2968 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dichloromethanecode 2964 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | p-Dichlorobenzenecode 2969 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzenecode 2378 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloropropanecode 2983 | 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.
Ephrata Area Joint Authority: frequently asked questions
Who runs Ephrata Area Joint Authority?
Ephrata Area Joint Authority (PWSID PA7360045) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the PA state drinking water program.
How many people does Ephrata Area Joint Authority serve?
Ephrata Area Joint Authority reports serving 24,500 people through 8,607 service connections in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Where does Ephrata Area Joint 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 Ephrata Area Joint Authority 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 October 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 Ephrata Area Joint 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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Ephrata Area Joint Authority's water quality report?
As a community water system, Ephrata Area Joint 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 Lancaster County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Lancaster | Lancaster | 120,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Columbia Water Co | Lancaster | 25,200 | 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, “Ephrata Area Joint Authority, PWSID PA7360045, Pennsylvania”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/pennsylvania/ephrata-area-joint-authority-pa7360045 (data as of October 1, 2026).