Water Quality: Charlottesville, VA
15 water systems • 139,776 people served
Some ConcernsWater Quality Summary
Charlottesville is served by 15 public water systems with a combined service population of 139,776 people, and has 99 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 2 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Charlottesville's violation count is 85% above the national average for Virginia. Contaminants associated with violations include Chlorine, E. coli.
Contaminants Found
Eye and nose irritation at high levels; long-term exposure above the MCL may cause liver and kidney damage.
Common source: Water treatment disinfectant added to kill harmful microorganisms
EPA limit: 4.0 mg/L (MRDL — Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level)
Causes gastrointestinal illness; certain strains (e.g., O157:H7) can cause severe kidney failure and death.
Common source: Fecal contamination from humans or animals entering the water supply
EPA limit: Zero (no E. coli permitted in drinking water)
Water Systems Serving Charlottesville
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACSA URBAN AREA | VA2003053 | Surface Water | 77,408 | 0 |
| CHARLOTTESVILLE, CITY OF | VA2540500 | Surface Water | 48,019 | 6 |
| ACSA CROZET | VA2003050 | Surface Water | 12,415 | 1 |
| ACSA SCOTTSVILLE | VA2003051 | Surface Water | 710 | 0 |
| KESWICK ESTATES | VA2003400 | Groundwater | 504 | 44 |
| MILLER SCHOOL | VA2003475 | Groundwater | 250 | 20 |
| ACSA RED HILL | VA2003054 | Groundwater | 240 | 0 |
| LANGFORD SUBDIVISION | VA2003440 | Groundwater | 97 | 3 |
| CHAMBLISSBURG MHC | VA5019485 | Groundwater | 75 | 1 |
| BEDFORD HILLS | VA2003150 | Groundwater | 58 | 23 |
| CROZET WTP | VA2003250 | Surface Water | 0 | 0 |
| NORTH RIVANNA WTP | VA2003525 | Surface Water | 0 | 0 |
| OBSERVATORY WTP | VA2003600 | Surface Water | 0 | 0 |
| SCOTTSVILLE WTP | VA2003675 | Surface Water | 0 | 1 |
| SOUTH RIVANNA WTP | VA2003725 | Surface Water | 0 | 0 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in Virginia
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.