Public water system · VT0020098
ActiveOrchard Commons
At a glance
Orchard Commons (PWSID VT0020098) is an active community water system in Chittenden County, Vermont. It reports serving 64 people through 11 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
64
Service connections
11
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Orchard Commons compare with other water systems in Chittenden County?
By EPA's size categories, Orchard Commons is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Chittenden County has 96 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,566 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 150,374 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 Orchard Commons 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 Orchard Commons?
EPA lists Orchard Commons 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. 59 of the 96 active systems in Chittenden County (61%) are also privately owned.
Does Orchard Commons have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2024. The violations listed here began between August 1999 and September 2024. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 4 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (8 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1999-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1999-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
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.
Orchard Commons: frequently asked questions
Who runs Orchard Commons?
Orchard Commons (PWSID VT0020098) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the VT state drinking water program.
How many people does Orchard Commons serve?
Orchard Commons reports serving 64 people through 11 service connections in Chittenden County, Vermont.
Where does Orchard Commons 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 Orchard Commons have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2024. 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 Orchard Commons' 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, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Orchard Commons' water quality report?
As a community water system, Orchard Commons 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 Chittenden County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington Dept Public Works Water Div | Chittenden | 42,000 | Community | Surface water |
| South Burlington City Water System | Chittenden | 19,500 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Colchester Water System | Chittenden | 11,299 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Essex Town Water System | Chittenden | 9,734 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Essex Jct Water Dept | Chittenden | 9,500 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Winooski Water Dept | Chittenden | 8,500 | Community | Purchased 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, “Orchard Commons, PWSID VT0020098, Vermont”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/vermont/orchard-commons-vt0020098 (data as of October 1, 2026).