Public water system · VT0000004
ActiveBig Picture
At a glance
Big Picture (PWSID VT0000004) is an active transient non-community water system in Washington County, Vermont. It reports serving 180 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
180
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Big Picture compare with other water systems in Washington County?
By EPA's size categories, Big Picture is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Washington County has 125 active public water systems. Its population served is about 63% below the county average of 490 people per system, and accounts for 0.3% of the 61,286 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Vermont, the 1,357 active systems average 477 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Big Picture is about 25% above that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. Vermont has 699 active transient non-community water systems, 52% 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 Big Picture?
EPA lists Big Picture 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. 94 of the 125 active systems in Washington County (75%) are also privately owned.
Does Big Picture have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022. The violations listed here began between January 2001 and March 2022. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (7 of them). EPA lists 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) · code 1A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) · code 1A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitritecode 1041 | No | Archived |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
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.
Big Picture: frequently asked questions
Who runs Big Picture?
Big Picture (PWSID VT0000004) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the VT state drinking water program.
How many people does Big Picture serve?
Big Picture reports serving 180 people through 1 service connection in Washington County, Vermont.
Where does Big Picture 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 Big Picture have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022. 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 Big Picture'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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the VT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Big Picture's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Big Picture is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in Washington County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barre City Water System | Washington | 14,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Montpelier Water System | Washington | 8,912 | Community | Surface water |
| Edward Farrar Utility District | Washington | 6,003 | Community | Surface water |
| Northfield Water Dept | Washington | 5,145 | Community | Groundwater |
| Mountain Water Company | Washington | 2,400 | Community | Surface water |
| Berlin Municipal Water System | Washington | 1,819 | 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, “Big Picture, PWSID VT0000004, Vermont”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/vermont/big-picture-vt0000004 (data as of October 1, 2026).