Public water system · WA5313301
ActiveOrcas Highlands
At a glance
Orcas Highlands (PWSID WA5313301) is an active community water system in San Juan County, Washington. It reports serving 260 people through 118 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2017.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
260
Service connections
118
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Orcas Highlands compare with other water systems in San Juan County?
By EPA's size categories, Orcas Highlands is a very small system (500 people or fewer). San Juan County has 112 active public water systems. Its population served is about 28% below the county average of 361 people per system, and accounts for 0.6% of the 40,377 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 Orcas Highlands 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. Washington has 2,392 active community water systems, 51% of the state's 4,705 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 130 Washington systems (2.8%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Orcas Highlands?
EPA lists Orcas Highlands as privately owned. 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. 92 of the 112 active systems in San Juan County (82%) are also privately owned.
Does Orcas Highlands have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2017. The violations listed here began between December 1991 and March 2017. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 2 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Consumer Confidence Rule (4 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved and 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-03-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1999-10-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1995-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1994-10-19 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1993-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 11 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.
Orcas Highlands: frequently asked questions
Who runs Orcas Highlands?
Orcas Highlands (PWSID WA5313301) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the WA state drinking water program.
How many people does Orcas Highlands serve?
Orcas Highlands reports serving 260 people through 118 service connections in San Juan County, Washington.
Where does Orcas Highlands get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Orcas Highlands have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2017. 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 Orcas Highlands' 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. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2017. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the WA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Orcas Highlands' water quality report?
As a community water system, Orcas Highlands 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 San Juan County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moran State Park-Mountain Lake | San Juan | 4,804 | Transient non-community | Surface water |
| Moran State Park - Summit Lake | San Juan | 4,803 | Transient non-community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| Moran State Park-Cascade Lake | San Juan | 4,783 | Transient non-community | Surface water |
| Eastsound Water Users Association | San Juan | 3,711 | Community | Surface water |
| Friday Harbor Town of | San Juan | 3,543 | Community | Surface water |
| Limekiln State Park | San Juan | 2,149 | 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, “Orcas Highlands, PWSID WA5313301, Washington”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/washington/orcas-highlands-wa5313301 (data as of October 1, 2026).