Public water system record

Big Sandy Water District

Serves an area of Boyd County and Lawrence County, KY · 13,044 people served

Federal records show 17 health-based violations and 4 monitoring/reporting issues for Big Sandy Water District in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) violation.

  • KY0100944
  • CATLETTSBURG
  • KY
  • 13,044 served

System profile

Source water Purchased surface water
ZIP 41129
EPA system ID KY0100944

Verify this system on EPA ECHO →

Health-based violations, last 10 years
17
Resolved
17
Unresolved
0
Any acute record
No
Monitoring issues, last 10 years
4

Key facts

  • Big Sandy Water District buys its water from Louisa Water Department, Kenova Municipal Water, Rattlesnake Ridge Water District, Cannonsburg Water District, Ashland Water Works and Paintsville Municipal Water Works.
  • Highest measured level in the last 10 years: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), 0.101 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.3 times the limit), 2018.
  • Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order with a penalty by Kentucky, November 2025.
  • Record on file since 1993, with 8 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
  • Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 609 unknown out of 5,077 service lines.

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Health-based violations

Since October 2016

Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.

Contaminant Rule family Start date Status Acute
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.087 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Jan 1, 2025 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.089 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Oct 1, 2024 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.089 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Jul 1, 2024 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.085 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Apr 1, 2024 Resolved No
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.068 mg/L, federal limit 0.06 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Jan 1, 2019 Resolved No
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.07 mg/L, federal limit 0.06 mg/L (1.2 times the limit)
220 Oct 1, 2018 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.09 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Oct 1, 2018 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.101 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.3 times the limit)
220 Jul 1, 2018 Resolved No
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.061 mg/L, federal limit 0.06 mg/L (at or just above the limit)
220 Jul 1, 2018 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.094 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.2 times the limit)
220 Apr 1, 2018 Resolved No
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.063 mg/L, federal limit 0.06 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Apr 1, 2018 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.088 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Jan 1, 2018 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.087 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Oct 1, 2017 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.088 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Jul 1, 2017 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.088 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Apr 1, 2017 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.084 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
220 Jan 1, 2017 Resolved No
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.082 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (at or just above the limit)
220 Oct 1, 2016 Resolved No

Monitoring and reporting issues

Since October 2016

Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.

Issue Start date Status
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
Aug 1, 2017 Resolved
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
Jul 1, 2017 Resolved
Public Notice
OTHER
Jan 5, 2017 Resolved
Public Notice
OTHER
Nov 10, 2015 Resolved

Full record since 1993

EPA's records for Big Sandy Water District go back to 1993. Before October 19, 2016 they list 8 health-based violations (8 resolved) and 22 monitoring or reporting violations.

Violations that began in Health-based Monitoring and reporting
1990s 0 4
2000s 0 10
2010 to October 18, 2016 8 8
October 19, 2016 to 2019 12 3
2020s 4 0

Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), began October 2016, Resolved.

Show all 8 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
Contaminant Start date Status
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.082 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (at or just above the limit)
Oct 1, 2016 Resolved
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.083 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (at or just above the limit)
Jul 1, 2016 Resolved
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.092 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.2 times the limit)
Apr 1, 2016 Resolved
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.096 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.2 times the limit)
Jan 1, 2016 Resolved
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.087 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
Oct 1, 2015 Resolved
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.081 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (at or just above the limit)
Jan 1, 2015 Resolved
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.086 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
Oct 1, 2014 Resolved
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.086 mg/L, federal limit 0.08 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
Jul 1, 2014 Resolved

Enforcement actions

Kentucky regulators took 2 formal enforcement actions against Big Sandy Water District between 2016 and 2025. The most recent was a compliance order with a penalty in November 2025.

Date By Action Violations covered
Nov 17, 2025 Kentucky Compliance order with a penalty 4 violations (4 health-based): Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Feb 11, 2016 Kentucky Compliance order with a penalty 15 violations (11 health-based): Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Public Notice, Consumer Confidence Rule

What the violations mean

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

13 incidents

Disinfection byproduct levels exceeded the federal limit

Long-term TTHM exposure may increase bladder cancer risk

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)

4 incidents

Haloacetic acid byproducts exceeded the federal limit

Long-term exposure to HAAs may increase cancer risk

Where the water comes from

Big Sandy Water District buys its water from Louisa Water Department, Kenova Municipal Water, Rattlesnake Ridge Water District, Cannonsburg Water District, Ashland Water Works and Paintsville Municipal Water Works. It lists no wells or intakes of its own. 1 other community water system buys water from Big Sandy Water District.

Community systems that buy water from it

Annual water quality report

Big Sandy Water District must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.

Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.

Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search

Testing your own water

To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Kentucky.