Public water system · VA1185695
ActiveRichlands, Town of
At a glance
Town of Richlands (PWSID VA1185695) is an active community water system in Tazewell County, Virginia. It reports serving 4,564 people through 2,610 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, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
4,564
Service connections
2,610
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Richlands compare with other water systems in Tazewell County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Richlands is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Tazewell County has 20 active public water systems, and Town of Richlands is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 181% above the county average of 1,623 people per system, and accounts for 14% of the 32,452 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 Richlands is about 32% 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. 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 Richlands?
EPA lists Town of Richlands 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. 16 of the 20 active systems in Tazewell County (80%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Richlands have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021. The violations listed here began between June 1980 and January 2021. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 4 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Haloacetic acids (HAA5) (4 of them). EPA lists 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-01-16 | Monitoring and reportingFailure Submit IDSE/Subpart V Plan Rpt · code 35 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2016-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2009-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-08-13 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-08-13 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Resolved |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Archived |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Endrincode 2005 | 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 Richlands: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Richlands?
Town of Richlands (PWSID VA1185695) 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 Richlands serve?
Town of Richlands reports serving 4,564 people through 2,610 service connections in Tazewell County, Virginia.
Where does Town of Richlands 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 Richlands have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021. 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 Richlands' 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, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021. 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 Richlands' water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Richlands 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 Tazewell County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield, Town of | Tazewell | 5,811 | Community | Surface water |
| Tazewell, Town of | Tazewell | 5,007 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Baptist Valley | Tazewell | 3,857 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Claypool Hill Tazewell Co Psa | Tazewell | 3,322 | Community | Surface water |
| Eastern Tazewell County | Tazewell | 2,952 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Tcpsa - Raven/Doran | Tazewell | 2,644 | Community | Purchased 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, “Richlands, Town of, PWSID VA1185695, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/richlands-town-of-va1185695 (data as of October 1, 2026).