Public water system · VA1173742
ActiveRye Valley Water Authority
At a glance
Rye Valley Water Authority (PWSID VA1173742) is an active community water system in Smyth County, Virginia. It reports serving 1,276 people through 447 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 December 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,276
Service connections
447
Primary source
GU
Groundwater under influence of surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Rye Valley Water Authority compare with other water systems in Smyth County?
By EPA's size categories, Rye Valley Water Authority is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Smyth County has 19 active public water systems, and Rye Valley Water Authority is the 6th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is roughly in line with the county average of 1,338 people per system, and accounts for 5% 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 Rye Valley Water Authority 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. 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 Rye Valley Water Authority?
EPA lists Rye Valley Water Authority 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 Rye Valley Water Authority have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024. The violations listed here began between January 2024 and December 2024. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting and 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Public Notice (3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-12-21 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-25 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-25 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Thalliumcode 1085 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzenecode 2378 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1,1-Trichloroethanecode 2981 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2979 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloropropanecode 2983 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | o-Dichlorobenzenecode 2968 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | p-Dichlorobenzenecode 2969 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Vinyl chloridecode 2976 | 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.
Rye Valley Water Authority: frequently asked questions
Who runs Rye Valley Water Authority?
Rye Valley Water Authority (PWSID VA1173742) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VA state drinking water program.
How many people does Rye Valley Water Authority serve?
Rye Valley Water Authority reports serving 1,276 people through 447 service connections in Smyth County, Virginia.
Where does Rye Valley Water Authority 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 Rye Valley Water Authority 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 December 2024. 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 Rye Valley Water Authority'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 December 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the VA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Rye Valley Water Authority's water quality report?
As a community water system, Rye Valley Water Authority 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 |
| Walker Creek | Smyth | 1,135 | Community | Purchased groundwater under influence |
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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, “Rye Valley Water Authority, PWSID VA1173742, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/rye-valley-water-authority-va1173742 (data as of October 1, 2026).