Public water system · VA1195100
ActiveBig Stone Gap, Town of
At a glance
Town of Big Stone Gap (PWSID VA1195100) is an active community water system in Wise County, Virginia. It reports serving 9,372 people through 3,905 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2006.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
9,372
Service connections
3,905
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Big Stone Gap compare with other water systems in Wise County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Big Stone Gap is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Wise County has 5 active public water systems, and Town of Big Stone Gap is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 4,826 people per system, and accounts for 39% of the 24,132 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Virginia, the 2,420 active systems average 3,122 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Town of Big Stone Gap is about 40% above 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. Virginia has 844 active community water systems, 35% of the state's 2,420 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 110 Virginia systems (4.5%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Town of Big Stone Gap?
EPA lists Town of Big Stone Gap as owned by a local government. The VA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 5 of the 5 active systems in Wise County (100%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Big Stone Gap have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2006. The violations listed here began between May 1985 and July 2006. By type: 8 monitoring and reporting, 3 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (3 of them). EPA lists 7 as archived and 5 as resolved. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-03-21 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1985-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 1985-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Archived |
| 1985-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Mercurycode 1035 | No | Archived |
| 1985-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Fluoridecode 1025 | No | Archived |
| 1985-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chromiumcode 1020 | No | Archived |
| 1985-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Seleniumcode 1045 | No | Archived |
| 1985-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Cadmiumcode 1015 | 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.
Town of Big Stone Gap: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Big Stone Gap?
Town of Big Stone Gap (PWSID VA1195100) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VA state drinking water program.
How many people does Town of Big Stone Gap serve?
Town of Big Stone Gap reports serving 9,372 people through 3,905 service connections in Wise County, Virginia.
Where does Town of Big Stone Gap 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 Town of Big Stone Gap have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2006. 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 Town of Big Stone Gap'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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2006. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Town of Big Stone Gap's water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Big Stone Gap 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 Wise County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise, Town of | Wise | 6,375 | Community | Surface water |
| Coeburn, Town of | Wise | 4,630 | Community | Surface water |
| Appalachia, Town of | Wise | 2,745 | Community | Surface water |
| St Paul, Town of | Wise | 1,010 | 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, “Big Stone Gap, Town of, PWSID VA1195100, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/big-stone-gap-town-of-va1195100 (data as of October 1, 2026).