Public water system · VT0005638
ActiveChelsea Water System
At a glance
Chelsea Water System (PWSID VT0005638) is an active community water system in Orange County, Vermont. It reports serving 450 people through 200 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
450
Service connections
200
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Chelsea Water System compare with other water systems in Orange County?
By EPA's size categories, Chelsea Water System is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Orange County has 70 active public water systems. Its population served is about 51% above the county average of 298 people per system, and accounts for 2.2% of the 20,846 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 Chelsea 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 Chelsea Water System?
EPA lists Chelsea Water System 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. 19 of the 70 active systems in Orange County (27%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Chelsea Water System have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. The violations listed here began between November 1991 and July 2019. By type: 5 contaminant level above the legal limit, 5 monitoring and reporting and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (10 of them). EPA lists 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1992-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1992-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1991-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | 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.
Chelsea Water System: frequently asked questions
Who runs Chelsea Water System?
Chelsea Water System (PWSID VT0005638) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VT state drinking water program.
How many people does Chelsea Water System serve?
Chelsea Water System reports serving 450 people through 200 service connections in Orange County, Vermont.
Where does Chelsea 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 Chelsea Water System have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. 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 Chelsea 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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Chelsea Water System's water quality report?
As a community water system, Chelsea 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 Orange County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph Village | Orange | 2,700 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bradford Village Water System | Orange | 1,512 | Community | Groundwater |
| Randolph Center Water System | Orange | 1,138 | Community | Groundwater |
| Williamstown Water Dept | Orange | 985 | Community | Groundwater |
| Fairlee Town Water | Orange | 967 | Community | Groundwater |
| Randolph Sb Rest Area | Orange | 783 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Chelsea Water System, PWSID VT0005638, Vermont”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/vermont/chelsea-water-system-vt0005638 (data as of October 1, 2026).