Public water system · TN0000221
ActiveElizabethton Water Dept
At a glance
Elizabethton Water Dept (PWSID TN0000221) is an active community water system in Carter County, Tennessee. It reports serving 32,490 people through 14,250 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2010.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
32,490
Service connections
14,250
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Elizabethton Water Dept compare with other water systems in Carter County?
By EPA's size categories, Elizabethton Water Dept is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Carter County has 15 active public water systems, and Elizabethton Water Dept is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 8.2 times the county average of 3,966 people per system, and accounts for 55% of the 59,496 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 Elizabethton Water Dept is about 4.8 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. Tennessee has 450 active community water systems, 33% of the state's 1,383 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 121 Tennessee systems (8.7%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Elizabethton Water Dept?
EPA lists Elizabethton 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 15 active systems in Carter County (53%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Elizabethton Water Dept have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2010. The violations listed here began between February 2004 and September 2010. By type: 8 monitoring and reporting, 3 required treatment not met and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (6 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved and 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-02-01 | Required treatment not metFailure to Filter (SWTR) · code 42 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-09-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-08-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2004-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2004-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2004-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2004-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
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.
Elizabethton Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Elizabethton Water Dept?
Elizabethton Water Dept (PWSID TN0000221) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TN state drinking water program.
How many people does Elizabethton Water Dept serve?
Elizabethton Water Dept reports serving 32,490 people through 14,250 service connections in Carter County, Tennessee.
Where does Elizabethton Water Dept get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Elizabethton Water Dept have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2010. 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 Elizabethton 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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2010. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the TN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Elizabethton Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Elizabethton 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 Carter County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First U.D. of Carter County | Carter | 9,143 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| South Elizabethton U.D. | Carter | 6,244 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Hampton Utility District | Carter | 4,354 | Community | Groundwater |
| Siam Utility District | Carter | 3,319 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| North Elizabethton Water Co-Op | Carter | 1,555 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Roan Mountain Utility District | Carter | 1,226 | 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, “Elizabethton Water Dept, PWSID TN0000221, Tennessee”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/tennessee/elizabethton-water-dept-tn0000221 (data as of October 1, 2026).