This is a database of clean water violations collected by the EPA in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
2019-02-26
This data was collected from running a file named code/python/scraper/scraper.py, which scrapes the EPA's API for this data set.
The SDWIS data contains the following tables, each contained in CSV files. Below is a list of those files and some fields that we identified as being useful.
Documents actions taken against a Public Water System (PWS), laboratory, or operator.
- pwsid
- enforcement_id
- originator_code
- enforcement_date
- enforcement_action_type_code
- enforcement_comment_text
Information on political units established by geographic boundaries, such as state, town, or county served by a Water System
- geo_id
- pwsid
- tribal code
- state_served
- ansi_entity_code
- zip_code_served
- city_served
- area_type_code
- county_served
90th percentile sample summary results data for lead or copper.
- sar_id
- pwsid
- sample_id
- contaminant_code
- result_sign_code
- sample_measure
- unit_of_measure
90th percentile sample summaries data for lead or copper.
- pwsid
- sample_id
- sampling_start_date
- sampling_end_date
A service area defines the sensitive populations that receive water from the water system.
- pwsid
- service_area_type_code
- is_primary_service_area_code
Treatment objectives and process for treating water from a water system facility.
- pwsid
- facility_id
- treatment_id
- comments_text
- treatment_objective_code
- treatment_process_code
Inventory information on public water systems.
- pswid
- pws_activity_code
- population_served_count
- zip_code
- gw_sw_code
- city_name
- primacy_agency_code
- pws_type_code
- service_connections_count
- counties_served
- cities_served
- epa_region
Inventory information on public water system facilities.
- pwsid
- facility_id
- facility_name
- facility_activity_code
- facility_type_code
- is_source_ind
- is_source_treated_ind
Documents a breach of a requirement. Violations are detected by assessment of sample results or reviews (including on site visits).
- pwsid
- violation_id
- facility_id
- violation_code
- violation_category_code
- is_health_based_ind
- contaminant_code
- compliance_status_code
- viol_measure
- unit_of_measure
- state_mcl
- compl_per_begin_date
- rtc_enforcement_id
- rtc_date
- sample_result_id
- corrective_action_id
- rule_code
- rule_group_code
Association between a violation and an enforcement action.
- enforcement_id
- pwsid
- violation_id
Additionally, there are two more files, contaminant-codes.csv and contaminant-group-codes.csv, which describe what contaminant codes mean.
How these files relate is described here on the EPA's website.
There are additional notes on this data in the Background file in the documentation.
This database is our primary source for safe drinking water violations.