Public water system · VT0005578
ActiveBears Crossing Water System
At a glance
Bears Crossing Water System (PWSID VT0005578) is an active community water system in Windham County, Vermont. It reports serving 333 people through 128 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
333
Service connections
128
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Bears Crossing Water System compare with other water systems in Windham County?
By EPA's size categories, Bears Crossing Water System is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Windham County has 201 active public water systems. Its population served is roughly in line with the county average of 347 people per system, and accounts for 0.5% of the 69,693 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Vermont, the 1,357 active systems average 477 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Bears Crossing Water System is well 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. Vermont has 405 active community water systems, 30% of the state's 1,357 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,243 Vermont systems (92%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Bears Crossing Water System?
EPA lists Bears Crossing Water System as privately owned. The VT state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 164 of the 201 active systems in Windham County (82%) are also privately owned.
Does Bears Crossing Water System have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016. The violations listed here began between November 1996 and August 2016. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting, 1 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 8 as resolved. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-08-14 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2008-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Radium-226code 4020 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Radium-228code 4030 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-08-22 | Monitoring and reportingInitial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water M/R · code 56 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-08-22 | Required treatment not metOCCT/SOWT Study/Recommendation · code 57 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingWater Quality Parameter M/R · code 53 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 8 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.
Bears Crossing Water System: frequently asked questions
Who runs Bears Crossing Water System?
Bears Crossing Water System (PWSID VT0005578) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the VT state drinking water program.
How many people does Bears Crossing Water System serve?
Bears Crossing Water System reports serving 333 people through 128 service connections in Windham County, Vermont.
Where does Bears Crossing Water System 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 Bears Crossing Water System have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016. 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 Bears Crossing Water System'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 8 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2016. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Bears Crossing Water System's water quality report?
As a community water system, Bears Crossing Water System 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 Windham County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brattleboro Water Dept | Windham | 12,200 | Community | Surface water |
| Winhall Stratton F D 1 | Windham | 6,200 | Community | Groundwater |
| Guilford Welcome Center | Windham | 5,000 | Transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| Grand Summit Hotel | Windham | 4,078 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Bellows Falls Water Dept | Windham | 4,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Chimney Hill | Windham | 2,594 | 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, “Bears Crossing Water System, PWSID VT0005578, Vermont”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/vermont/bears-crossing-water-system-vt0005578 (data as of October 1, 2026).