EPA v. Deerwod Manor Drinking Water System

Case summary

ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLIANCE ORDER: 11/21/2025 Docket No. SDWA-04-2026-5058 Proceeding pursuant to Section 1414(g) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. ? 300g-3(g). This Administrative Compliance Order is issued to Deerwood Manor Drinking Water System Public Water Systemto the authority vested in the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency by Section 1414(g) of the Safe Drinking Water Act 42 U.S.C ? 300g-3(g). The Administrator has delegated this authority to the Regional Administrator of EPA Region 4, who has, in turn, delegated this authority to the Director of the Enforcement Compliance and Assurance Division. Respondent owns and operates the Deerwood Manor Drinking Water System ?public water system? (?PWS?), located in Jesup, Wayne County, Georgia, PWS ID No. GA3050003. Deerwood Manor Drinking Water System (System) provides water for human consumption to a population of approximately 88 persons. On January 15, 2021, EPA promulgated the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (?LCRR?). The LCRR included a requirement for water systems to complete initial inventories of lead service lines by October 16, 2024. On October 8, 2024, the EPA finalized the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (?LCRI?), which built upon the pre-2021 LCR and 2021 LCRR. Relevant to this Order, the LCRI maintained the LCRR compliance date of October 16, 2024, for initial lead service line inventory, notification of service line material, and associated reporting requirements (discussed in further detail below). Until a State, Tribe, or Territory has primary enforcement authority for a new or revised National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (?NPDWR?), such as the LCRR and LCRI, pursuant to SDWA Section 1413, 42, only the EPA can enforce the NPDWR pursuant to SDWA Section 1414(a)(2). Although the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD) administers the Public Water Supply Supervision Program in Georgia pursuant to SDWA Section 1413 of the SDWA, 42 U.S.C. 300g-2, the State of Georgia has not been granted primacy by the EPA for implementation and enforcement of the LCRI and/or LCRR as of the date of this Order. Therefore, the EPA currently has primary enforcement responsibility for the SDWA LCRR and LCRI. Pursuant to service line inventory, a water system must develop a service line inventory that identifies the materials of all service lines connected to the public water distribution system. PWSs were required to develop and submit to the State1 an initial service line inventory by October 16, 2024, (reporting requirements). The System failed to develop and submit its required initial service line inventory to the State by the October 16, 2024, deadline. The System failed to provide Tier 2 Public Notification to the persons it serves, as required by 40 C.F.R. Part 141, Subpart Q. Failure to submit an initial inventory to the State by October 16, 2024, requires Tier 3 Public Notification pursuant to 40 C.F.R. Subpart Q of Part 141, Appendix A (public notification of drinking water violations). The System has failed to inform all persons served at the service connection that the service line is known to, or has the potential of, containing lead, or such notification has failed to meet the timing, content, or delivery requirements. Failure to make the service line materials inventory publicly available requires Tier 2 Public Notification pursuant to 40 C.F.R. Subpart Q of Part 141, Appendix A (public notification of drinking water violations). The System failed to provide Tier 2 Public Notification to the persons it serves, as required by 40 C.F.R. Part 141, Subpart Q. Beginning October 16, 2024, a water system shall deliver public education materials to persons served by the water system at the service connection with a lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or lead status unknown service line.

Defendants (1)

• Deerwod Manor Drinking Water SystemNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• DEERWOOD MANOR DRINKING WATER SYSTEM

  60 THRASHER LANE, JESUP, GA, 31545

  Registry ID: 110072111760

Statutes cited

• SDWA 1412/1414 — National Drinking Water Regulations

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Deerwod Manor Drinking Water Systementered 2025-11-21

  Primary law: SDWA

Timeline (3 milestones)

• 2025-11-21Final Order Issued
• 2025-12-09Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2026-03-05Enforcement Action Closed