Water System Report TN

Decatur Water Department

EPA ID: TN0000183 ยท 6,451 people served ยท 1 ZIP code

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Decatur Water Department (TN0000183): no drinking-water violations recorded since 2021. No violations appear in the federal EPA file for Decatur Water Department, which supplies 6,451 people.

Data: EPA SDWIS

6,451
People Served
1
ZIP Code Served
0
Violations (since 2021)
Surface Water
Water Source
0.001 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2025-12-31)
0
Contaminants Flagged
$185K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Decatur Water Department Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$53,965
Median Household Income
8,509
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
67%
Disadvantaged Population
70th
Poverty Percentile
70th
Energy Burden Percentile
42%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with Decatur Water Department have a median household income of $53,965 and about 8,509 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 42% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

Environmental Justice Note: On average, 67% 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

Decatur Water Department'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
20th
Superfund Site Proximity

Infrastructure Risk

27 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
43 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 39% 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. 2 detections recorded.

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 Tennessee

2 violations
0 violations
0 violations
0 violations
1 violation

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment
PFAS Treatment $500
Total Estimated Cost $500

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 $500 (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

Decatur Water Department (EPA ID: TN0000183) is a community water system in Tennessee that serves approximately 6,451 people from surface water sources.

This system serves ZIP code 37322 in Decatur.

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
0.001 mg/L 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.

Need help with your water quality?

Typical cost: Water test: typically $20โ€“$50 (DIY kit) ยท Professional inspection: $150โ€“$400

Find the Right Water Filter

Free tip: Ask your water utility whether running cold water for 2 minutes is enough to flush your plumbing before drinking.

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 TN 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 Decatur Water Department (TN0000183) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Decatur Water Department water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Decatur Water Department 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 Decatur Water Department serve?

Decatur Water Department serves approximately 6,451 people across 1 ZIP code in Tennessee.

Where does Decatur Water Department 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.

Samples collected
116

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 Decatur Water Department; 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 Decatur Water Department serve? ▼
Decatur Water Department serves approximately 6,451 people with drinking water across 1 ZIP code.
What is Decatur Water Department's water source? ▼
Decatur Water Department draws water from surface water sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Decatur Water Department's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.001 mg/L (sample period ending 2025-12-31). 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 Decatur Water Department? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to Decatur Water Department have a median household income of $53,965 (Census ZIP-code estimate). In CEJST data, 67% 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 Decatur Water Department get its water? ▼
Decatur Water Department'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.). Decatur Water Department Water Quality Report, TN. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/tn0000183/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-tn0000183,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Decatur Water Department Water Quality Report, TN}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/tn0000183/}
}
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