Public water system record
Fairfield Sapphire
Serves an area of Jackson County, NC that includes Cashiers · 3,873 people served
Federal records show 4 health-based violations and 2 monitoring/reporting issues for Fairfield Sapphire in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Combined Uranium violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 4
- Resolved
- 4
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 2
Key facts
- Fairfield Sapphire draws water from 11 wells (1 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by North Carolina, November 2024.
- Record on file since 1981, with 0 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 637 unknown out of 1,728 service lines.
Check whether Fairfield Sapphire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Combined Uranium
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
340 | Apr 1, 2020 | Resolved | No |
|
Combined Uranium
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
340 | Jan 1, 2020 | Resolved | No |
|
Combined Uranium
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
340 | Oct 1, 2019 | Resolved | No |
|
Combined Uranium
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
340 | Apr 1, 2019 | Resolved | No |
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Consumer Confidence Rule
OTHER
|
Jul 1, 2024 | Resolved |
|
Public Notice
OTHER
|
Dec 22, 2019 | Resolved |
Full record since 1981
EPA's records for Fairfield Sapphire go back to 1981. Before October 19, 2016 they list no health-based violations and 24 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 20 |
| 1990s | 0 | 1 |
| 2000s | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 2 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020s | 2 | 1 |
Enforcement actions
North Carolina regulators took 5 formal enforcement actions against Fairfield Sapphire between 2010 and 2024. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in November 2024.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2024 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Consumer Confidence Rule |
| Feb 13, 2020 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Public Notice |
| Nov 21, 2019 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 3 violations (3 health-based): Combined Uranium |
| May 28, 2019 | North Carolina | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Combined Uranium |
| Jul 20, 2010 | North Carolina | Compliance order with a penalty | 1 violation: Total Coliform |
What the violations mean
Combined Uranium
4 incidentsTest results for Combined Uranium were above the federal limit (a maximum contaminant level violation).
The utility had to notify customers about each of these violations.
Where the water comes from
Fairfield Sapphire draws water from 11 wells (1 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
Annual water quality report
Fairfield Sapphire 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