Sussex Shores Water Company
EPA ID: DE0000557 · 12,450 people served · 1 ZIP code
Five years of EPA monitoring have produced no violations for Sussex Shores Water Company — the supplier serving 12,450 residents has kept every contaminant level within federal limits, a result that places it among the top-performing utilities for systems with a service population of comparable size.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Sussex Shores Water Company Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary
Service Area Demographics
The Sussex Shores Water Company serves a community with a median household income of $118,092 and an estimated 2,873 residents across its service area. Approximately 41% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
💧 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Sussex Shores Water Company's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.
About 1% of homes in Sussex County, Delaware rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 1 detection recorded. 1 exceeds federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS).
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Delaware
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
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.
System Overview
Sussex Shores Water Company (EPA ID: DE0000557) is a community water system in Delaware that serves approximately 12,450 people from groundwater sources.
This system serves ZIP code 19930 in Bethany Beach.
Violation History
Lead & Copper
No Lead and Copper Rule sampling data available for this water system.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
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 DE or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.
- 19930 — Bethany Beach
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Sussex Shores Water Company (DE0000557) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sussex Shores Water Company water safe to drink?
Based on EPA records, Sussex Shores Water Company has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.
How many people does Sussex Shores Water Company serve?
Sussex Shores Water Company serves approximately 12,450 people across 1 ZIP code in Delaware.
Where does Sussex Shores Water Company get its water?
The primary water source is groundwater.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.