Water System Report AL

Margaret Water Works

EPA ID: AL0001199 ยท 6,336 people served ยท 5 ZIP codes

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Margaret Water Works (AL0001199): no drinking-water violations recorded since 2021. No violations appear in the federal EPA file for Margaret Water Works, which supplies 6,336 people.

Data: EPA SDWIS

6,336
People Served
5
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (since 2021)
Surface Water
Water Source
0.002 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2023-12-31)
Zone 2
County Radon Potential ยท Moderate
0
Contaminants Flagged
$237K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Margaret Water Works Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$84,391
Median Household Income
74,772
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
40%
Disadvantaged Population
58th
Poverty Percentile
68th
Energy Burden Percentile
21%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with Margaret Water Works have a median household income of $84,391 and about 74,772 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies).

Environmental Justice Note: On average, 40% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this service area are designated disadvantaged by the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST, 2022 version). Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.

๐ŸŒŠ Where Does Your Water Come From?

Surface Water

Margaret Water Works's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
50th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
44th
Superfund Site Proximity

Infrastructure Risk

27 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
41 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 40% of expected lifespan used (estimate) End of life

PFAS in ZIP Codes This System Serves

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been reported in samples from water systems associated with the ZIP codes in this system's area. These results can come from other water systems serving the same ZIP codes; check the UCMR5 section for any results reported for this system. 25 detections recorded. 4 detections are above the level of a federal PFAS MCL (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS), with compliance required from 2029.

Health concern: Exposure to certain PFAS has been associated with some cancers and with immune and developmental effects; effects differ by compound. Many PFAS break down very slowly in the environment.
Recommended filter: An activated carbon filter certified under NSF/ANSI 53 or a reverse osmosis system certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for the PFAS listed in its certification. Find the right filter โ†’

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in Alabama

0 violations
0 violations
Kushla Water District
6,294 people
30 violations
New Hope Water System
6,231 people
D 0 violations
C 0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment Water Filtration
PFAS Treatment $500
Water Filtration $60
Total Estimated Cost $560

Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.

Cost of Inaction

Illustrative per-household cost scenario based on stated assumptions:

PFAS Exposure - Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $560 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These estimates are for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

Margaret Water Works (EPA ID: AL0001199) is a community water system in Alabama that serves approximately 6,336 people from surface water sources.

This system provides water to 5 ZIP codes across 5 communities.

Violation History

No accepted violation records in the 2021-2026 window - The accepted EPA ECHO 2026Q2 snapshot contains zero violation records for this system whose record year falls from 2021 through 2026, inclusive. This is not a tap-water safety guarantee.

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.002 mg/L No 2023-12-31

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

Radon Risk in Service Area

5 of 5 ZIP records with known zones are in EPA Radon Zone 2.

The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by AL or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View available EPA compliance records for Margaret Water Works (AL0001199) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Margaret Water Works water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Margaret Water Works in the inclusive 2021-2026 record-year window. This is a compliance-record finding, not a guarantee about water at a specific tap.

How many people does Margaret Water Works serve?

Margaret Water Works serves approximately 6,336 people across 5 ZIP codes in Alabama.

Where does Margaret Water Works get its water?

The primary water source is surface water.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected; the table compares each one with the EPA MCL where one exists (April 2024 rule, compliance required from 2029) and with this state's enforceable standard where one exists.

Samples collected
174
Detections
12
Latest sample
8/6/2025
Highest analyte
PFBS: 23.8 ppt
Analyte Max detected EPA MCL (compliance required from 2029) Status
PFBS 23.8 ppt No federal MCL โ€”
PFPeA 17.2 ppt No federal MCL โ€”
PFBA 9.2 ppt No federal MCL โ€”
PFHxA 6.5 ppt No federal MCL โ€”

EPA's April 2024 PFAS rule sets MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX); water systems must comply from 2029. Other PFAS compounds have no individual federal MCL. A state standard is shown only where this system's state has its own enforceable PFAS limit. Detection results are EPA UCMR5 samples, not a measurement at your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use a water filter? ▼
No EPA drinking-water violations since 2021 are on record for Margaret Water Works; this page does not establish contaminant levels at your tap. That is a compliance record, not a guarantee about the water at your tap; a certified filter can target a specific contaminant you are concerned about.
How many people does Margaret Water Works serve? ▼
Margaret Water Works serves approximately 6,336 people with drinking water across 5 ZIP codes.
What is Margaret Water Works's water source? ▼
Margaret Water Works draws water from surface water sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Margaret Water Works's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.002 mg/L (sample period ending 2023-12-31). This is at or below the EPA lead action level, which triggers system action and is not a safe level; the EPA health goal for lead is zero.
What is the demographic profile of the ZIP codes associated with Margaret Water Works? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to Margaret Water Works have a median household income of $84,391 (Census ZIP-code estimate). In CEJST data, 40% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this area are designated disadvantaged (average across mapped ZIP codes), which may indicate greater vulnerability to environmental health risks.
Where does Margaret Water Works get its water? ▼
Margaret Water Works's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap. Based on the available data, the modeled source-contamination category is moderate; test local water to assess actual exposure.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Margaret Water Works Water Quality Report, AL. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/al0001199/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-al0001199,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Margaret Water Works Water Quality Report, AL}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/al0001199/}
}
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