RUSSELL COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY vs CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER SYSTEM
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). RUSSELL COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY has 0 open health-based violations and 26 PFAS records. CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER SYSTEM has 0 open health-based violations and 11 PFAS records.
Alabama · AL0001145
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
26
PFAS records
Alabama · AL0000738
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
11
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | RUSSELL COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY | CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER SYSTEM |
|---|---|---|
| State | Alabama | Alabama |
| Risk Level | No Concerns Detected | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 16,923 | 585,000 |
| Open Health Violations | 0 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 19 | 3 |
| PFAS Records | 26 | 11 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Surface water | Surface water |
| City Served | Phenix City | — |
Contaminants in Violation Records
RUSSELL COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY
- Total Coliform
- E. coli
- Fecal Coliform
- Lead
CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER SYSTEM
- Lead
Key Differences
RUSSELL COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY has 26 PFAS records vs. 11 for CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER SYSTEM.
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 — RUSSELL COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY or CENTRAL ALABAMA WATER SYSTEM?
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). Both utilities have similar violation profiles — review the full data above to decide based on specific contaminants that concern you.
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.