Public water system · VT0005298
ActiveBellows Falls Water Dept
At a glance
Bellows Falls Water Dept (PWSID VT0005298) is an active community water system in Windham County, Vermont. It reports serving 4,000 people through 1,950 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
4,000
Service connections
1,950
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Bellows Falls Water Dept compare with other water systems in Windham County?
By EPA's size categories, Bellows Falls Water Dept is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Windham County has 201 active public water systems, and Bellows Falls Water Dept is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 12 times the county average of 347 people per system, and accounts for 5.7% 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 Bellows Falls Water Dept is about 40% 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 45 Vermont systems (3.3%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Bellows Falls Water Dept?
EPA lists Bellows Falls Water Dept as owned by a local government. 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. 27 of the 201 active systems in Windham County (13%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Bellows Falls Water Dept have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2015. The violations listed here began between April 2003 and August 2015. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 of them). EPA lists 4 as resolved and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2003-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
All 5 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.
Bellows Falls Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Bellows Falls Water Dept?
Bellows Falls Water Dept (PWSID VT0005298) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VT state drinking water program.
How many people does Bellows Falls Water Dept serve?
Bellows Falls Water Dept reports serving 4,000 people through 1,950 service connections in Windham County, Vermont.
Where does Bellows Falls 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 Bellows Falls Water Dept have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2015. 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 Bellows Falls 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 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2015. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Bellows Falls Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Bellows Falls 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 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 |
| Chimney Hill | Windham | 2,594 | Community | Groundwater |
| Town of Wilmington Water System | Windham | 1,400 | 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, “Bellows Falls Water Dept, PWSID VT0005298, Vermont”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/vermont/bellows-falls-water-dept-vt0005298 (data as of October 1, 2026).