Public water system · VA1197700
ActiveRural Retreat, Town of
At a glance
Town of Rural Retreat (PWSID VA1197700) is an active community water system in Wythe County, Virginia. It reports serving 2,500 people through 1,021 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater under influence of surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,500
Service connections
1,021
Primary source
GU
Groundwater under influence of surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Rural Retreat compare with other water systems in Wythe County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Rural Retreat is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Wythe County has 8 active public water systems, and Town of Rural Retreat is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 88% above the county average of 1,329 people per system, and accounts for 24% of the 10,629 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 Rural Retreat is about 63% 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 under the influence of surface water is well or spring water that the regulator has found to be affected by nearby surface water, so it is regulated under the surface-water treatment rules. 29 Virginia systems (1.2%) list groundwater under influence of surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Town of Rural Retreat?
EPA lists Town of Rural Retreat 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. 3 of the 8 active systems in Wythe County (38%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Rural Retreat have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. The violations listed here began between January 2005 and February 2026. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-11 | ReportingReport Sample Result/Fail Monitor (RTCR) · code 4B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-08-29 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1-Dichloroethylenecode 2977 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1,1-Trichloroethanecode 2981 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Carbon tetrachloridecode 2982 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloroethanecode 2980 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Tetrachloroethylenecode 2987 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toluenecode 2991 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Xylenes, Totalcode 2955 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloropropanecode 2983 | No | Resolved |
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 Rural Retreat: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Rural Retreat?
Town of Rural Retreat (PWSID VA1197700) 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 Rural Retreat serve?
Town of Rural Retreat reports serving 2,500 people through 1,021 service connections in Wythe County, Virginia.
Where does Town of Rural Retreat get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater under influence of surface water. Groundwater under the influence of surface water is well or spring water that the regulator has found to be affected by nearby surface water, so it is regulated under the surface-water treatment rules.
Does Town of Rural Retreat have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. 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 Rural Retreat'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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. 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 Rural Retreat's water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Rural Retreat 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 Wythe County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wytheville, Town of | Wythe | 7,804 | Community | Surface water |
| Foster Falls Campground | Wythe | 225 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Stony Fork Recreation Area | Wythe | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Hussey Mountain | Wythe | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Shot Tower State Park | Wythe | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Deer Trail Park Campground | Wythe | 25 | 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, “Rural Retreat, Town of, PWSID VA1197700, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/rural-retreat-town-of-va1197700 (data as of October 1, 2026).