Public water system · TN0000573
ActiveNorthwest Clay County Utility
At a glance
Northwest Clay County Utility (PWSID TN0000573) is an active community water system in Clay County, Tennessee. It reports serving 4,437 people through 1,872 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, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
4,437
Service connections
1,872
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Northwest Clay County Utility compare with other water systems in Clay County?
By EPA's size categories, Northwest Clay County Utility is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Clay County has 2 active public water systems, and Northwest Clay County Utility is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 16% below the county average of 5,299 people per system, and accounts for 42% of the 10,597 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 Northwest Clay County Utility is about 34% below 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 Northwest Clay County Utility?
EPA lists Northwest Clay County Utility 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. 2 of the 2 active systems in Clay County (100%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Northwest Clay County Utility have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between May 2015 and October 2025. By type: 8 contaminant level above the legal limit and 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Haloacetic acids (HAA5) (8 of them). EPA lists 6 as resolved, 4 as archived and 2 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. 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. Addressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2016-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-06-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherRecord Keeping · code 09 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Addressed |
| 2015-05-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherRecord Keeping · code 09 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Addressed |
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.
Northwest Clay County Utility: frequently asked questions
Who runs Northwest Clay County Utility?
Northwest Clay County Utility (PWSID TN0000573) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TN state drinking water program.
How many people does Northwest Clay County Utility serve?
Northwest Clay County Utility reports serving 4,437 people through 1,872 service connections in Clay County, Tennessee.
Where does Northwest Clay County Utility 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 Northwest Clay County Utility have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are 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 Northwest Clay County Utility'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, 8 are 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 TN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Northwest Clay County Utility's water quality report?
As a community water system, Northwest Clay County Utility 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 Clay County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celina Water System | Clay | 6,160 | Community | 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, “Northwest Clay County Utility, PWSID TN0000573, Tennessee”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/tennessee/northwest-clay-county-utility-tn0000573 (data as of October 1, 2026).