Public water system · VA1173010
ActivePoor Valley
At a glance
Poor Valley (PWSID VA1173010) is an active community water system in Smyth County, Virginia. It reports serving 163 people through 50 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, 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 July 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
163
Service connections
50
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Poor Valley compare with other water systems in Smyth County?
By EPA's size categories, Poor Valley is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Smyth County has 19 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,338 people per system, and accounts for 0.6% of the 25,421 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 Poor Valley 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. Virginia has 844 active community water systems, 35% of the state's 2,420 active systems. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 10 Virginia systems (0.4%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Poor Valley?
EPA lists Poor Valley 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. 13 of the 19 active systems in Smyth County (68%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Poor Valley have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2015. The violations listed here began between June 1979 and July 2015. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminants or rules involved are Consumer Confidence Rule, Lead and Copper Rule, Total coliform bacteria (TCR) and Nitrate. EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1979-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
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.
Poor Valley: frequently asked questions
Who runs Poor Valley?
Poor Valley (PWSID VA1173010) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VA state drinking water program.
How many people does Poor Valley serve?
Poor Valley reports serving 163 people through 50 service connections in Smyth County, Virginia.
Where does Poor Valley get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Poor Valley have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Poor Valley'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 July 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 Poor Valley's water quality report?
As a community water system, Poor Valley 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 Smyth County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion, Town of | Smyth | 8,500 | Community | Surface water |
| Chilhowie, Town of | Smyth | 4,625 | Community | Purchased groundwater under influence |
| Thomas Bridge Water Corp | Smyth | 3,500 | Community | Surface water |
| Saltville, Town of | Smyth | 2,204 | Community | Groundwater |
| Watsons Gap Water System | Smyth | 1,892 | Community | Groundwater |
| Rye Valley Water Authority | Smyth | 1,276 | Community | Groundwater under influence of 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, “Poor Valley, PWSID VA1173010, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/poor-valley-va1173010 (data as of October 1, 2026).