Columbia County Water System water quality
Martinez, GA · serves 124,763 people (53,105 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID GA0730000
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Augusta-Richmond County Water System. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level1.6 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved3 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jan 2025.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Columbia County Water System's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (706) 868-3474. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jul 2024 to Apr 2025. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 0.75 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 1 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 8 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.6 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.2 ppb (Dec 2023).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 1.6 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 3.2 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2017 | 2.4 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2016 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2015 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2014 | 3.1 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Jun 2013 | 5.8 ppb |
| Jul 2012 – Dec 2012 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 35 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Jun 2012 | 38 ppb |
| Jul 2011 – Dec 2011 | 15 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jul 2024 – Jan 2025 3 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.087 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 21 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 215 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.64 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.032 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.35 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Martinez
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 29835, 30802, 30809, 30813, 30814, 30907, 30909, 30917
Nearby utilities
- Augusta-Richmond County Water System Augusta · 11 mi · PFAS above limit
- Athens-Clarke County Water System Athens · 79 mi
- Gray Water System Gray · 90 mi · PFAS above limit
- Winder Water System Winder · 99 mi
- Newton County Water-Sewerage Authority Covington · 101 mi
- Macon Water Authority Macon · 104 mi
Questions
Is Columbia County Water System water safe to drink?
Columbia County Water System had 3 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Columbia County Water System water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Columbia County Water System found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Columbia County Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Columbia County Water System is 1.6 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for GA0730000: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID GA0730000).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Columbia County Water System at (706) 868-3474, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.