EPA Violation Trends: U.S. Water Violations Over Time
Track EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations across the United States over time. This chart covers 6 years of data with 37,029 total violations recorded, including 36,925 health-based violations.
National Violation Trend
Data: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Updated 2026-05-14. Health-based violations include MCL, treatment technique, and maximum residual disinfectant level violations.
Violations by State
Top 15 states by total recorded violations. Click a state name to view its full report.
| # | State | Total Violations | Health-Based | Health % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | 7,512 | 7,506 | 100% | |
| 2 | Texas | 6,933 | 6,933 | 100% | |
| 3 | Louisiana | 2,224 | 2,216 | 100% | |
| 4 | Kentucky | 1,658 | 1,658 | 100% | |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 1,547 | 1,547 | 100% | |
| 6 | Arkansas | 1,423 | 1,423 | 100% | |
| 7 | New York | 1,355 | 1,355 | 100% | |
| 8 | West Virginia | 1,181 | 1,181 | 100% | |
| 9 | North Carolina | 1,177 | 1,177 | 100% | |
| 10 | California | 891 | 888 | 100% | |
| 11 | Georgia | 827 | 827 | 100% | |
| 12 | Mississippi | 825 | 825 | 100% | |
| 13 | Ohio | 724 | 724 | 100% | |
| 14 | Florida | 699 | 699 | 100% | |
| 15 | Kansas | 670 | 667 | 100% |
Understanding EPA Violation Types
EPA violations under the Safe Drinking Water Act fall into several categories:
- Health-Based Violations - exceed maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), treatment technique requirements, or maximum residual disinfectant levels. These indicate potential direct health risk.
- Monitoring Violations - failure to test water as required. These may mask hidden contamination.
- Reporting Violations - failure to notify the public or regulatory agencies. Less immediately dangerous but undermine transparency.
Why Violations Fluctuate
Year-to-year changes reflect enforcement activity, updated standards (the 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements), and monitoring cycles. A spike may indicate stricter enforcement rather than worsening water quality. Partial-year data for the current year typically shows lower numbers that will increase.
Data Sources
All violation data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which tracks compliance for all public water systems in the United States. Data is updated quarterly.
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