Public water system · VA1173550
ActiveRaccoon Branch
At a glance
Raccoon Branch (PWSID VA1173550) is an active transient non-community water system in Smyth County, Virginia. It reports serving 25 people through 13 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by the federal government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25
Service connections
13
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Raccoon Branch compare with other water systems in Smyth County?
By EPA's size categories, Raccoon Branch 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 less than 0.1% 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 transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Raccoon Branch is well below that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. Virginia has 1,133 active transient non-community water systems, 47% 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 Raccoon Branch?
EPA lists Raccoon Branch as owned by the federal 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. 3 of the 19 active systems in Smyth County (16%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does Raccoon Branch have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. The violations listed here began between June 1977 and April 2018. By type: 4 contaminant level above the legal limit, 2 monitoring and reporting and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 6 as archived and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1999-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1996-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1994-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1977-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Archived |
| 1977-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Archived |
All 7 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.
Raccoon Branch: frequently asked questions
Who runs Raccoon Branch?
Raccoon Branch (PWSID VA1173550) is a transient non-community water system owned by the federal government. It is regulated by the VA state drinking water program.
How many people does Raccoon Branch serve?
Raccoon Branch reports serving 25 people through 13 service connections in Smyth County, Virginia.
Where does Raccoon Branch 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 Raccoon Branch have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. 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 Raccoon Branch'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 7 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the VA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Raccoon Branch's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Raccoon Branch is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
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, “Raccoon Branch, PWSID VA1173550, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/raccoon-branch-va1173550 (data as of October 1, 2026).