Public water system · VA6137999
ActiveWilderness
At a glance
Wilderness (PWSID VA6137999) is an active community water system in Orange County, Virginia. It reports serving 13,274 people through 5,440 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, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
13,274
Service connections
5,440
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Wilderness compare with other water systems in Orange County?
By EPA's size categories, Wilderness is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Orange County has 19 active public water systems, and Wilderness is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 10 times the county average of 1,289 people per system, and accounts for 54% of the 24,484 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 Wilderness is about twice 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 Wilderness?
EPA lists Wilderness 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. 8 of the 19 active systems in Orange County (42%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Wilderness have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. The violations listed here began between April 2017 and October 2024. By type: 8 contaminant level above the legal limit, 2 required treatment not met, 1 reporting and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Haloacetic acids (HAA5) (9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-07-08 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique, Level 1 Assessment (RTCR) · code 2A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-07-08 | ReportingReporting, Assessment Forms (RTCR) · code 4A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-04 | Monitoring and reportingFailure Submit IDSE/Subpart V Plan Rpt · code 35 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-04-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | 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.
Wilderness: frequently asked questions
Who runs Wilderness?
Wilderness (PWSID VA6137999) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the VA state drinking water program.
How many people does Wilderness serve?
Wilderness reports serving 13,274 people through 5,440 service connections in Orange County, Virginia.
Where does Wilderness 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 Wilderness have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Wilderness' 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, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Wilderness' water quality report?
As a community water system, Wilderness 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 Orange County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange, Town of | Orange | 5,022 | Community | Surface water |
| Gordonsville, Town of | Orange | 1,800 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Locust Grove Primary-Elementary School | Orange | 951 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Locust Grove Town Center | Orange | 560 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Rsa Route 20 | Orange | 390 | Community | Groundwater |
| Unionville Elementary School | Orange | 385 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Wilderness, PWSID VA6137999, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/wilderness-va6137999 (data as of October 1, 2026).