Public water system · WA5389700
ActiveTumwater City of
At a glance
City of Tumwater (PWSID WA5389700) is an active community water system in Thurston County, Washington. It reports serving 51,802 people through 13,486 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, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2020.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
51,802
Service connections
13,486
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Tumwater compare with other water systems in Thurston County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Tumwater is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Thurston County has 322 active public water systems, and City of Tumwater is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 42 times the county average of 1,233 people per system, and accounts for 13% of the 397,060 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 City of Tumwater is about 7.7 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 City of Tumwater?
EPA lists City of Tumwater 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. 73 of the 322 active systems in Thurston County (23%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Tumwater have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2020. The violations listed here began between June 1992 and January 2020. By type: 6 contaminant level above the legal limit, 5 monitoring and reporting and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (8 of them). EPA lists 9 as archived and 3 as resolved. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 2004-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 2004-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 2003-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1998-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1997-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1992-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | 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.
City of Tumwater: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Tumwater?
City of Tumwater (PWSID WA5389700) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the WA state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Tumwater serve?
City of Tumwater reports serving 51,802 people through 13,486 service connections in Thurston County, Washington.
Where does City of Tumwater 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 City of Tumwater have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2020. 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 City of Tumwater'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, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2020. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the WA state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Tumwater's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Tumwater 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 Thurston County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia City of | Thurston | 126,966 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lacey Water Department | Thurston | 105,178 | Community | Groundwater |
| Yelm City of | Thurston | 17,355 | Community | Groundwater |
| Tanglewilde Thompson Place 600 | Thurston | 7,900 | Community | Groundwater |
| Pattison 500 | Thurston | 4,643 | Community | Groundwater |
| Grand Mound | Thurston | 3,764 | 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, “Tumwater City of, PWSID WA5389700, Washington”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/washington/tumwater-city-of-wa5389700 (data as of October 1, 2026).