Public water system · WV3304301
ActiveCairo Water Department
At a glance
Cairo Water Department (PWSID WV3304301) is an active community water system in Ritchie County, West Virginia. It reports serving 339 people through 163 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
339
Service connections
163
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Cairo Water Department compare with other water systems in Ritchie County?
By EPA's size categories, Cairo Water Department is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Ritchie County has 5 active public water systems, and Cairo Water Department is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 64% below the county average of 935 people per system, and accounts for 7.3% of the 4,675 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across West Virginia, the 791 active systems average 2,032 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Cairo Water Department 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. West Virginia has 427 active community water systems, 54% of the state's 791 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 169 West Virginia systems (21%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Cairo Water Department?
EPA lists Cairo Water Department as owned by a local government. The WV state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 4 of the 5 active systems in Ritchie County (80%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Cairo Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2025. The violations listed here began between April 2023 and December 2025. By type: 8 monitoring and reporting, 2 monitoring and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (3 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved, 4 as archived and 1 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingFailure Submit IDSE/Subpart V Plan Rpt · code 35 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2025-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Archived |
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Archived |
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Archived |
| 2023-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-08-16 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-08-16 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | 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.
Cairo Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Cairo Water Department?
Cairo Water Department (PWSID WV3304301) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the WV state drinking water program.
How many people does Cairo Water Department serve?
Cairo Water Department reports serving 339 people through 163 service connections in Ritchie County, West Virginia.
Where does Cairo Water Department 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 Cairo Water Department have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in December 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 Cairo Water Department'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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the WV state drinking water program.
Where can I find Cairo Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Cairo Water Department 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 Ritchie County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisville | Ritchie | 2,347 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Pennsboro | Ritchie | 1,532 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Ellenboro Psd | Ritchie | 456 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Hughes River Water | Ritchie | 1 | 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, “Cairo Water Department, PWSID WV3304301, West Virginia”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/west-virginia/cairo-water-department-wv3304301 (data as of October 1, 2026).