Public water system · VA3131120
ActiveCape Charles, Town of
At a glance
Town of Cape Charles (PWSID VA3131120) is an active community water system in Northampton County, Virginia. It reports serving 3,740 people through 1,383 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,740
Service connections
1,383
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Cape Charles compare with other water systems in Northampton County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Cape Charles is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Northampton County has 48 active public water systems, and Town of Cape Charles is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 13 times the county average of 296 people per system, and accounts for 26% of the 14,188 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 Cape Charles is about 44% 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. Virginia has 844 active community water systems, 35% of the state's 2,420 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 2,089 Virginia systems (86%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Town of Cape Charles?
EPA lists Town of Cape Charles 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. 10 of the 48 active systems in Northampton County (21%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Cape Charles have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2015. The violations listed here began between June 1991 and January 2015. By type: 10 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (8 of them). EPA lists 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2010-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
All 10 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 Cape Charles: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Cape Charles?
Town of Cape Charles (PWSID VA3131120) 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 Cape Charles serve?
Town of Cape Charles reports serving 3,740 people through 1,383 service connections in Northampton County, Virginia.
Where does Town of Cape Charles 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 Town of Cape Charles have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 Town of Cape Charles' 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 10 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2015. 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 Cape Charles' water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Cape Charles 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 Northampton County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exmore, Town of | Northampton | 1,500 | Community | Groundwater |
| Sun Outdoors - Cape Charles | Northampton | 1,025 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Yianni`S | Northampton | 800 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Eastville, Town of | Northampton | 800 | Community | Groundwater |
| Kiptopeke State Park | Northampton | 555 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Shore Stop #204 | Northampton | 500 | Transient non-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, “Cape Charles, Town of, PWSID VA3131120, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/cape-charles-town-of-va3131120 (data as of October 1, 2026).