Public water system · TN0000144
ActiveCovington Water Dept
At a glance
Covington Water Dept (PWSID TN0000144) is an active community water system in Tipton County, Tennessee. It reports serving 14,334 people through 5,101 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
14,334
Service connections
5,101
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Covington Water Dept compare with other water systems in Tipton County?
By EPA's size categories, Covington Water Dept is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Tipton County has 9 active public water systems, and Covington Water Dept is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 84% above the county average of 7,799 people per system, and accounts for 20% of the 70,188 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 Covington Water Dept is about twice 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,038 Tennessee systems (75%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Covington Water Dept?
EPA lists Covington Water Dept 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. 8 of the 9 active systems in Tipton County (89%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Covington Water Dept have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2015. The violations listed here began between August 2000 and January 2015. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 4 as resolved and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
All 5 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.
Covington Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Covington Water Dept?
Covington Water Dept (PWSID TN0000144) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TN state drinking water program.
How many people does Covington Water Dept serve?
Covington Water Dept reports serving 14,334 people through 5,101 service connections in Tipton County, Tennessee.
Where does Covington Water Dept 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 Covington Water Dept have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2015. 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 Covington Water Dept'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. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2015. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the TN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Covington Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Covington Water Dept 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 Tipton County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar Grove Utility District | Tipton | 19,599 | Community | Groundwater |
| Munford Water Dept | Tipton | 10,434 | Community | Groundwater |
| Atoka Water System | Tipton | 9,197 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| First U.D. of Tipton County | Tipton | 9,017 | Community | Groundwater |
| Brighton Water System | Tipton | 3,715 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Mason Water Dept | Tipton | 3,642 | 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, “Covington Water Dept, PWSID TN0000144, Tennessee”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/tennessee/covington-water-dept-tn0000144 (data as of October 1, 2026).