Public water system · WA5322950
ActiveEllensburg Water Dept
At a glance
Ellensburg Water Dept (PWSID WA5322950) is an active community water system in Kittitas County, Washington. It reports serving 20,900 people through 10,902 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
20,900
Service connections
10,902
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Ellensburg Water Dept compare with other water systems in Kittitas County?
By EPA's size categories, Ellensburg Water Dept is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Kittitas County has 96 active public water systems, and Ellensburg Water Dept is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 40 times the county average of 528 people per system, and accounts for 41% of the 50,703 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Washington, the 4,705 active systems average 2,172 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Ellensburg Water Dept is about 3.1 times 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. Washington has 2,392 active community water systems, 51% of the state's 4,705 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 4,370 Washington systems (93%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Ellensburg Water Dept?
EPA lists Ellensburg Water Dept as owned by a local government. The WA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 10 of the 96 active systems in Kittitas County (10%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Ellensburg Water Dept have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between October 1979 and January 2025. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate (9 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1997-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1979-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | 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.
Ellensburg Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Ellensburg Water Dept?
Ellensburg Water Dept (PWSID WA5322950) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the WA state drinking water program.
How many people does Ellensburg Water Dept serve?
Ellensburg Water Dept reports serving 20,900 people through 10,902 service connections in Kittitas County, Washington.
Where does Ellensburg Water Dept get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Ellensburg Water Dept have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. 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 Ellensburg Water Dept'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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the WA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Ellensburg Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Ellensburg Water Dept 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 Kittitas County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian John Rest Area (Eb/Wb) | Kittitas | 5,718 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Suncadia Resort | Kittitas | 2,640 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Wanapum State Park | Kittitas | 2,263 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Kittitas City of | Kittitas | 2,247 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cle Elum Water Department | Kittitas | 2,213 | Community | Surface water |
| Ryegrass Eb/Wb Rest Area | Kittitas | 2,184 | 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, “Ellensburg Water Dept, PWSID WA5322950, Washington”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/washington/ellensburg-water-dept-wa5322950 (data as of October 1, 2026).