Health Violations Found LA 2 HEALTH VIOLATIONS

Pontchatoula Water System

EPA ID: LA1105019 · 6,657 people served · 4 ZIP codes

Where compliant utilities carry no open actions, Pontchatoula Water System shows 4 active EPA violations in the federal database for a service population of approximately 6,657.

Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02

C · 59
Avg Safety Score
6,657
People Served
4
ZIP Codes Served
9
Violations (5yr)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.001 mg/L
Max Lead Level
Zone 3
Radon Risk · Low
4
Contaminants Flagged
$220K
Median Home Value in Service Area

Compliance Trajectory

Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months

Violations went from 1 (2022) to 5 (2024). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Pontchatoula Water System Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary — Grade C

Service Area Demographics

$50,995
Median Household Income
85,956
Service Area Population
70%
Disadvantaged Population
70th
Poverty Percentile
60th
Energy Burden Percentile
40%
Pre-1986 Housing

The Pontchatoula Water System serves a community with a median household income of $50,995 and an estimated 85,956 residents across its service area. Approximately 40% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

Environmental Justice Note: 70% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. 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?

Groundwater

Pontchatoula Water System'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.

Elevated Risk
Source Contamination Risk
40th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
30th
Superfund Site Proximity

About 1% of homes in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.

Infrastructure Risk

30 yr
Avg Pipe Age
Copper
Pipe Material
38 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 44% of expected lifespan used End of life

Detected Contaminants

How Pontchatoula Water System compares to EPA limits

What This Means For You

Lead and Copper Rule at 3 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.

Stage 1 DBP Rule at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.

Surface Water Treatment Rule at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.

Contaminant 0700 at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in Louisiana

D 0 violations
A 0 violations
B 7 violations
0 violations
0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Flood Insurance Water Filtration
Flood Insurance $1,800
Water Filtration $225
Total Estimated Cost $2,025

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

If water quality issues in this service area are not addressed, the estimated financial impact per household is:

Estimated Healthcare Costs $1,000

Annual per household (CDC est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$5,000
10 years
$10,000
20 years
$20,000

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $2,025 (one-time) vs. $10,000 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Estimates based on published EPA, CDC, and peer-reviewed research. Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These are conservative lower-bound estimates intended for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

PONTCHATOULA WATER SYSTEM (EPA ID: LA1105019) is a community water system in Louisiana that serves approximately 6,657 people from groundwater sources.

This system provides water to 4 ZIP codes across 3 communities.

Average Home Safety Score: C (59/100)

Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.

Violation History

2 health-based violations recorded in the past 5 years. 4 remain unresolved.

Recent Violations

Date Contaminant Type Status
February 22, 2025 Lead and Copper Rule Monitoring Unresolved
January 8, 2025 Lead and Copper Rule Monitoring Unresolved
November 28, 2024 Contaminant 0700 Health-based Unresolved
October 1, 2024 Stage 1 DBP Rule Monitoring Unresolved
July 1, 2024 Surface Water Treatment Rule Monitoring Resolved
January 1, 2024 Stage 1 DBP Rule Monitoring Resolved

Contaminants Detected

The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:

Contaminant Category Violations Health-Based
Lead and Copper Rule Treatment Failure 3 No
Stage 1 DBP Rule Treatment Failure 2 No
Surface Water Treatment Rule Treatment Failure 2 No
Contaminant 0700 Other Violation 2 Yes

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:

ZIP Code Lead Level Exceeds Limit Sample Date
70454 0.001 mg/L No N/A

Radon Risk in Service Area

Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)

Need help with your water quality?

Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400

Find the Right Water Filter

Free tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: 3 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 1 additional ZIP inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Pontchatoula Water System (LA1105019) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pontchatoula Water System water safe to drink?

Pontchatoula Water System has recorded 2 health-based violations in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.

How many people does Pontchatoula Water System serve?

Pontchatoula Water System serves approximately 6,657 people across 4 ZIP codes in Louisiana.

Where does Pontchatoula Water System get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Water Source & Treatment

Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.

Source
ground_water
Disinfectant used
Chlorine

Source: Pontchatoula Water System Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.

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.

Samples collected
174

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 →

Understand PFAS health context and filtration →

Lead Service Line Inventory

Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:

0
Confirmed Lead
0
Galvanized — Replacement Required
1,594
Unknown Material
1,173
Confirmed Non-Lead

This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.

Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.

Federal Regulatory Status · 2026Q1
LCRR inventory submission: Reported all required service line types
Latest tap sample on 2021-01-01 did not exceed the federal lead action level.
Population served: 6,657
Reported to Louisiana

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.

Learn about lead in drinking water →

Aesthetic water quality

These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.

pH
8.59
How acidic or basic the water is on a 0-14 scale. Drinking water is typically near neutral.
EPA secondary range: 6.5 – 8.5
Fluoride
0.2 ppm
Utility does not add fluoride
Measured fluoride concentration in parts per million.
EPA secondary MCL: 2.0 ppm

Aesthetic measurements from Pontchatoula Water System Consumer Confidence Report.

Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.

Notable events and violations

This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.

Federal compliance violations on record

These entries are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR violations section. EPA defines four broad violation categories: Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Treatment Technique (TT), Monitoring & Reporting (M&R), and Public Notification (PN).

  • LEAD CONSUMER NOTICE (LCR) · LEAD AND COPPER RULE
    12/31/2023 - 2/4/2024
    Required consumer notice regarding lead was not delivered on time.
  • CCR REPORT · CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT RULE
    6/30/2024 - 7/24/2024
    Consumer Confidence Report was not delivered to customers on time.

Violations record from Pontchatoula Water System Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water from Pontchatoula Water System safe to drink?
Pontchatoula Water System has a C safety grade based on 9 recorded violations. Some contaminants may exceed EPA limits — independent testing is recommended.
What contaminants are in Pontchatoula Water System's water?
Detected contaminants include Lead and Copper Rule, Stage 1 DBP Rule, Surface Water Treatment Rule, Contaminant 0700. Each is compared against EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in the detailed breakdown above.
Should I use a water filter?
Given 4 contaminants above EPA limits, a certified water filter can provide an extra layer of protection. The best type depends on specific contaminants in your water.
How many people does Pontchatoula Water System serve?
Pontchatoula Water System serves approximately 6,657 people with drinking water across 4 ZIP codes.
What is Pontchatoula Water System's water source?
Pontchatoula Water System draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Pontchatoula Water System's water?
The maximum detected lead level is 0.001 mg/L. This is within EPA action level guidelines.
What is the demographic profile of Pontchatoula Water System's service area?
The Pontchatoula Water System service area has a median household income of $50,995. EPA EJScreen data classifies 70% of the population as disadvantaged, which may indicate greater vulnerability to environmental health risks.
Where does Pontchatoula Water System get its water?
Pontchatoula Water System'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. Based on violation history and environmental factors, the source contamination risk is currently elevated.

What You Can Do

1

Test your water

Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →

2

Check your specific ZIP code

Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →

3

Contact your utility

Pontchatoula Water System (EPA ID: LA1105019) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.

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