MARION WATERWORKS vs CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER has a lower risk classification (safe). MARION WATERWORKS has 4 open health-based violations and 58 PFAS records. CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER has 0 open health-based violations and 232 PFAS records.
Arkansas · AR0000152
Action Required
Violations recorded or levels exceeding regulatory limits.
4
Open violations
58
PFAS records
Arkansas · AR0000465
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
232
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | MARION WATERWORKS | CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER |
|---|---|---|
| State | Arkansas | Arkansas |
| Risk Level | Action Required | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 13,032 | 368,455 |
| Open Health Violations | 4 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 8 | 0 |
| PFAS Records | 58 | 232 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Groundwater | Surface water |
| City Served | — | — |
Contaminants in Violation Records
MARION WATERWORKS
- Lead
- Coliform (TCR)
CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER
No named contaminants in violation records.
Key Differences
MARION WATERWORKS has a critical risk rating vs. safe for CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER.
MARION WATERWORKS has 4 open health-based violations vs. 0 for CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER.
MARION WATERWORKS has 58 PFAS records vs. 232 for CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — MARION WATERWORKS or CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER?
CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER has a lower risk classification (safe). CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER has 0 open health-based violations compared to 4 for the other system.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.