Harlan Municipal Water Works
EPA ID: KY0480178 · 4,574 people served · 5 ZIP codes
ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Harlan Municipal Water Works (KY0480178): no drinking-water violations recorded since 2021. Although compliance varies widely among water utilities nationally, the SDWIS file for Harlan Municipal Water Works lists no EPA violations for this supplier, whose service area covers 4,574 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Harlan Municipal Water Works Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary
Demographics of ZIP Codes Served
The ZIP codes associated with Harlan Municipal Water Works have a median household income of $34,247 and about 9,752 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 64% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: On average, 100% 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.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Harlan Municipal 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.
Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 60th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Kentucky
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
Harlan Municipal Water Works (EPA ID: KY0480178) is a community water system in Kentucky that serves approximately 4,574 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 5 ZIP codes across 5 communities.
Violation History
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:
| Lead Level | Exceeds Action Level | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|
| Below the reporting limit | No | 2025-12-31 |
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 KY 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 Harlan Municipal Water Works (KY0480178) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Harlan Municipal Water Works water safe to drink?
The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Harlan Municipal 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 Harlan Municipal Water Works serve?
Harlan Municipal Water Works serves approximately 4,574 people across 5 ZIP codes in Kentucky.
Where does Harlan Municipal Water Works get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: No PFAS Reported Above Reporting Levels
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were reported above UCMR5 minimum reporting levels.
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) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to cite this page
ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Harlan Municipal Water Works Water Quality Report, KY. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/ky0480178/
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title = {{Harlan Municipal Water Works Water Quality Report, KY}},
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