Public water system · VA1195950
ActiveWise, Town of
At a glance
Town of Wise (PWSID VA1195950) is an active community water system in Wise County, Virginia. It reports serving 6,375 people through 2,746 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, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
6,375
Service connections
2,746
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Wise compare with other water systems in Wise County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Wise is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Wise County has 5 active public water systems, and Town of Wise is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 32% above the county average of 4,826 people per system, and accounts for 26% of the 24,132 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 Wise is roughly in line with 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 Wise?
EPA lists Town of Wise 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. 5 of the 5 active systems in Wise County (100%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Wise have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. The violations listed here began between June 1980 and April 2018. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 3 required treatment not met and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Carbon, total (3 of them). EPA lists 6 as resolved and 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2008-01-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique Precursor Removal · code 46 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-10-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique Precursor Removal · code 46 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique Precursor Removal · code 46 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Endrincode 2005 | No | Archived |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Seleniumcode 1045 | No | Archived |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Methoxychlorcode 2015 | No | Archived |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Bariumcode 1010 | No | Archived |
| 1980-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chromiumcode 1020 | 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 Wise: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Wise?
Town of Wise (PWSID VA1195950) 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 Wise serve?
Town of Wise reports serving 6,375 people through 2,746 service connections in Wise County, Virginia.
Where does Town of Wise 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 Wise have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 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 Town of Wise'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, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2018. 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 Wise's water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Wise 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 Wise County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone Gap, Town of | Wise | 9,372 | Community | Surface water |
| Coeburn, Town of | Wise | 4,630 | Community | Surface water |
| Appalachia, Town of | Wise | 2,745 | Community | Surface water |
| St Paul, Town of | Wise | 1,010 | Community | 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, “Wise, Town of, PWSID VA1195950, Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/virginia/wise-town-of-va1195950 (data as of October 1, 2026).