Public water system · VA2540500
ActiveCharlottesville, City of
At a glance
City of Charlottesville (PWSID VA2540500) is an active community water system in Virginia. It reports serving 46,553 people through 14,817 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
46,553
Service connections
14,817
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Charlottesville compare with other water systems in Virginia?
By EPA's size categories, City of Charlottesville is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). 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 City of Charlottesville is about 6.9 times 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. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 162 Virginia systems (6.7%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Charlottesville?
EPA lists City of Charlottesville 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.
Does City of Charlottesville have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2025. The violations listed here began between February 2017 and February 2025. By type: 2 monitoring and 2 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-10-27 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
All 4 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.
City of Charlottesville: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Charlottesville?
City of Charlottesville (PWSID VA2540500) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VA state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Charlottesville serve?
City of Charlottesville reports serving 46,553 people through 14,817 service connections in Virginia.
Where does City of Charlottesville get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does City of Charlottesville have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2025. 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 City of Charlottesville'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. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VA state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Charlottesville's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Charlottesville 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 Virginia
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County Water Authority | Fairfax | 1,121,613 | Community | Surface water |
| Virginia Beach, City of | — | 437,994 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Newport News, City of | — | 407,300 | Community | Surface water |
| Chesterfield Co Central Water System | Chesterfield | 389,897 | Community | Surface water |
| Loudoun Water - Central System | Loudoun | 334,808 | Community | Surface water |
| Henrico County Water System | Henrico | 330,000 | 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, “Charlottesville, City of, PWSID VA2540500, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/charlottesville-city-of-va2540500 (data as of October 1, 2026).