Public water system · TN0000256
ActiveGatlinburg Water Dept
At a glance
Gatlinburg Water Dept (PWSID TN0000256) is an active community water system in Sevier County, Tennessee. It reports serving 8,877 people through 3,481 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
8,877
Service connections
3,481
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Gatlinburg Water Dept compare with other water systems in Sevier County?
By EPA's size categories, Gatlinburg Water Dept is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Sevier County has 49 active public water systems, and Gatlinburg Water Dept is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 5 times the county average of 1,774 people per system, and accounts for 10% of the 86,938 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 Gatlinburg Water Dept is about 32% 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. 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 Gatlinburg Water Dept?
EPA lists Gatlinburg 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. 6 of the 49 active systems in Sevier County (12%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Gatlinburg Water Dept have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2023. The violations listed here began between June 1989 and July 2023. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting and 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Consumer Confidence Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 6 as archived, 3 as resolved and 1 as unaddressed. 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. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2015-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1989-06-25 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 2,4-Dcode 2105 | No | Archived |
| 1989-06-25 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Endrincode 2005 | No | Archived |
| 1989-06-25 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 2,4,5-TP (Silvex)code 2110 | No | Archived |
| 1989-06-25 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toxaphenecode 2020 | No | Archived |
| 1989-06-25 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Lindane (gamma-BHC)code 2010 | No | Archived |
| 1989-06-25 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Methoxychlorcode 2015 | No | Archived |
All 10 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.
Gatlinburg Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Gatlinburg Water Dept?
Gatlinburg Water Dept (PWSID TN0000256) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TN state drinking water program.
How many people does Gatlinburg Water Dept serve?
Gatlinburg Water Dept reports serving 8,877 people through 3,481 service connections in Sevier County, Tennessee.
Where does Gatlinburg Water Dept 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 Gatlinburg Water Dept have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Gatlinburg 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 10 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Gatlinburg Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Gatlinburg 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 Sevier County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevierville Water System | Sevier | 39,885 | Community | Surface water |
| Pigeon Forge Water Department | Sevier | 14,872 | Community | Surface water |
| Sevier County Water Department | Sevier | 6,194 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Great Smoky Mtns National Park Hq | Sevier | 3,125 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Webb Creek Utility District | Sevier | 1,737 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Chalet Village North | Sevier | 1,203 | Community | Purchased 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, “Gatlinburg Water Dept, PWSID TN0000256, Tennessee”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/tennessee/gatlinburg-water-dept-tn0000256 (data as of October 1, 2026).