Public water system · TN0000646
ActiveSouth Elizabethton U.D.
At a glance
South Elizabethton U.D. (PWSID TN0000646) is an active community water system in Carter County, Tennessee. It reports serving 6,244 people through 2,739 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
6,244
Service connections
2,739
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does South Elizabethton U.D. compare with other water systems in Carter County?
By EPA's size categories, South Elizabethton U.D. is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Carter County has 15 active public water systems, and South Elizabethton U.D. is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 57% above the county average of 3,966 people per system, and accounts for 10% 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 South Elizabethton U.D. is roughly in line with 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 South Elizabethton U.D.?
EPA lists South Elizabethton 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. 8 of the 15 active systems in Carter County (53%) are also owned by a local government.
Does South Elizabethton U.D. have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021. The violations listed here began between June 1980 and July 2021. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 5 as resolved, 3 as archived and 2 as unaddressed. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-12-05 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2015-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingWater Quality Parameter M/R · code 53 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | 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.
South Elizabethton U.D.: frequently asked questions
Who runs South Elizabethton U.D.?
South Elizabethton U.D. (PWSID TN0000646) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TN state drinking water program.
How many people does South Elizabethton U.D. serve?
South Elizabethton U.D. reports serving 6,244 people through 2,739 service connections in Carter County, Tennessee.
Where does South Elizabethton U.D. 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 South Elizabethton U.D. have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021. 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 South Elizabethton 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. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2021. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the TN state drinking water program.
Where can I find South Elizabethton U.D.'s water quality report?
As a community water system, South Elizabethton 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 Carter County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethton Water Dept | Carter | 32,490 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| First U.D. of Carter County | Carter | 9,143 | Community | Groundwater under influence of 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, “South Elizabethton U.D., PWSID TN0000646, Tennessee”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/tennessee/south-elizabethton-u-d-tn0000646 (data as of October 1, 2026).