Public water system · TN0000517
ActiveBedford County U.D.
At a glance
Bedford County U.D. (PWSID TN0000517) is an active community water system in Bedford County, Tennessee. It reports serving 22,908 people through 8,270 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, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
22,908
Service connections
8,270
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Bedford County U.D. compare with other water systems in Bedford County?
By EPA's size categories, Bedford County U.D. is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Bedford County has 13 active public water systems, and Bedford County U.D. is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 4.5 times the county average of 5,145 people per system, and accounts for 34% of the 66,889 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Tennessee, the 1,383 active systems average 5,780 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Bedford County U.D. is about 3.4 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. Tennessee has 450 active community water systems, 33% of the state's 1,383 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 151 Tennessee systems (11%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Bedford County U.D.?
EPA lists Bedford County U.D. as owned by a local government. The TN 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 13 active systems in Bedford County (38%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Bedford County U.D. have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2023. The violations listed here began between October 2020 and August 2023. By type: 6 required treatment not met, 3 disinfectant level above the legal limit, 2 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (6 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as addressed. 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. Addressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-01 | Disinfectant level above the legal limitNon-Acute MRDL · code 11 | Chlorine dioxidecode 1008 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-07-01 | Disinfectant level above the legal limitNon-Acute MRDL · code 11 | Chlorine dioxidecode 1008 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-10-01 | Disinfectant level above the legal limitNon-Acute MRDL · code 11 | Chlorine dioxidecode 1008 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Addressed |
| 2022-05-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-02-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-01-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-02-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-10-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | 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.
Bedford County U.D.: frequently asked questions
Who runs Bedford County U.D.?
Bedford County U.D. (PWSID TN0000517) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TN state drinking water program.
How many people does Bedford County U.D. serve?
Bedford County U.D. reports serving 22,908 people through 8,270 service connections in Bedford County, Tennessee.
Where does Bedford County U.D. 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 Bedford County U.D. have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2023. 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 Bedford County U.D.'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, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2023. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the TN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Bedford County U.D.'s water quality report?
As a community water system, Bedford County U.D. 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 Bedford County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville Water System | Bedford | 36,813 | Community | Surface water |
| Wartrace Water System | Bedford | 3,576 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Bell Buckle Water System | Bedford | 2,633 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Shelbyville Flat Creek W.S. | Bedford | 634 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| River Mountain Retreat | Bedford | 100 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Dollar General-Body Camp | Bedford | 50 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Bedford County U.D., PWSID TN0000517, Tennessee”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/tennessee/bedford-county-u-d-tn0000517 (data as of October 1, 2026).