Public water system record
Town of Murphy
Serves an area of Cherokee County, NC that includes Murphy · 4,498 people served
Federal records show 1 health-based violation and 6 monitoring/reporting issues for Town of Murphy in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 1
- Resolved
- 1
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 6
Key facts
- Town of Murphy draws water from 1 surface water intake.
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by North Carolina, December 2025.
- Record on file since 1992, with 2 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 72 unknown out of 1,822 service lines.
Check whether Town of Murphy serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
| Contaminant | Rule family | Start date | Status | Acute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
Treatment technique failure
|
350 | Oct 17, 2024 | Resolved | No |
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
Monitoring violation
|
Nov 1, 2025 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Chlorine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Oct 1, 2025 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
RPT
|
Sep 11, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Revised Total Coliform Rule
RPT
|
Aug 11, 2025 | Resolved |
|
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
RPT
|
Oct 17, 2024 | Resolved |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2022 | Resolved |
Full record since 1992
EPA's records for Town of Murphy go back to 1992. Before October 19, 2016 they list 2 health-based violations (2 resolved) and 32 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 32 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020s | 1 | 6 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (acute), began April 2012, Resolved.
Show all 2 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (acute)
Treatment technique failure
|
Apr 1, 2012 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1992 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
North Carolina regulators took 3 formal enforcement actions against Town of Murphy between 2008 and 2025. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in December 2025.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16, 2025 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Chlorine |
| Mar 30, 2022 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Lead and Copper Rule |
| May 23, 2008 | North Carolina | Compliance order with a penalty | 26 violations: BHC-GAMMA, Methoxychlor, Toxaphene, Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, Simazine |
What the violations mean
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
1 incidentThe system did not complete a treatment step or action that the LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS requires (a treatment technique violation).
The utility had to notify customers about this violation.
Where the water comes from
Town of Murphy draws water from 1 surface water intake. It also has an emergency connection to Town of Andrews. 1 other public water system has an emergency connection to Town of Murphy.
Emergency or part-time connections to
- Town of Andrews Andrews, NC
Annual water quality report
Town of Murphy 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.
Where the state allows it, systems serving fewer than 10,000 people may publish the report in a local newspaper or news site instead of mailing it, and must provide a copy on request.
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 North Carolina.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells