Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Martinez?
Yes, Martinez's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Martinez has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Martinez's water utility, Columbia County, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the Columbia County water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Martinez Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Martinez tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Martinez's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Martinez Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Columbia County for Martinez in Georgia. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
For the compliance period beginning July 1, 2013, Martinez had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Other Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Consumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report which falls into the Other rule code group, and the Consumer Confidence Rule rule code family for the following contaminant code: Consumer Confidence Rule.
Is there Lead in Martinez Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Martinez water system, Columbia County, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.002 mg/L of lead in Martinez water. This is 13.3% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Martinez contained more lead.
While Martinez water testing may have found 0.002 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Martinez Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Fort Gordon - near Martinez with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Martinez has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Martinez SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/01/2013 - | Resolved | No | Other Violation (Other) | Consumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report (71) | Consumer Confidence Rule (420) | Consumer Confidence Rule (7000) | Other (400) | Consumer Confidence Rule (420) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
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| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
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| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
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| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
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For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Martinez Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Phone: | 706-868-3474 |
| By Email: | sgordon@columbiacountyga.gov |
| By Mail: | P.O box 960 GROVETOWN, GA, 30813 |
Existing customers can login to their Columbia County account to pay their Martinez water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Columbia County bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Martinez water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Martinez water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Martinez means you will often need to put the water in your name with Columbia County. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Martinez means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Columbia County. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Martinez, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Martinez Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Martinez's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
WATER REPORT Columbia County takes PRIDE in producing safe drinking water and
making sure it is readily available . Have you ever taken a sip of water from your tap and wondered about the quality of your drink - ing water or what was in it? Well wonder no more . After testing the drinking water over 140,000 times in 2020, Columbia County Water Utility is proud to infor m our customers their drinking water meets or exceeds the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and EPD (Environmental Protection Division) guidelines .
T his repor t has data from Januar y 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 on the details of the quality of your drinking water. Other topics covered in this repor t include source water infor mation,
numerical values of |
detected finished water quality parameters, |
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health facts, and ter m definitions . |
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CONTAMINANTS THAT MAY BE PRESENT IN SOURCE |
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WATER INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: |
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Microbial contaminants (e . g. , vir uses and bacteria) that |
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may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, |
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ag ricultural livestock operations, and wild - life; |
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Inorganic contaminants (e . g. , salts and metals) which |
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can be naturally occur ring or result from urban stor m |
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r un - off, industrial or domestic waste discharges, oil and gas |
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production, mining, or far ming; |
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Pesticides and herbicides which may come from a |
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variety of sources such as ag riculture, urban stor m water |
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r un - off, and residential uses; |
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Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and |
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volatile organic chemicals which are by - products of industrial |
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processes, petroleum production and can also come from gas |
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stations, urban stor m water r un - off, and septic systems; |
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Radioactive contaminants which can be naturally |
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occur ring or be the result of oil and gas production and |
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HEALTH FACTS |
mining activities . |
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For health reasons, the EPA has prescribed regulations that limit the amount of |
cer tain contaminants in water provided by |
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public water systems . T he Food and Dr ug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health . Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants . T he presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk . More infor mation about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1 - 800 - 426 - 4791) .
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population . Immuno - compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be par ticularly at risk from infections . T hese people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers . EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means
to lessen the risk of infection by Cr yptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking |
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Water Hotline (1 - 800 - 426 - 4791) . |
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WATER SOURCES |
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER |
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T he sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) |
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If present, elevated levels of lead |
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include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reser voirs, springs, |
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can cause serious health problems, |
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and wells . As water travels over the surface of the land |
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especially for pregnant women and |
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or through the g round, it dissolves naturally occur ring |
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young children . Lead in drinking |
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minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material . It can |
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water is primarily from materials |
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also pick up substances resulting from the presence of |
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and components associated with |
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animals or from human activity. Columbia County |
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ser vice lines and home plumbing. |
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cur rently withdraws up to 45,000,000 gallons a day of |
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Columbia County Water Utility is |
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surface water from the Savannah River to the Jim |
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responsible for providing high |
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Blanchard Sr. Water Treatment Facility on Point Com - |
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quality drinking water, but cannot |
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for t Road . An additional 8,000,000 gallons of surface |
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control the variety of materials |
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water could be withdrawn from the Clarks Hill Reser - |
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used in plumbing components . |
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voir and treated at the Clarks Hill Water Treatment |
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W hen your water has been sitting |
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Facility on Highway 221 . Combined, the Water Utility |
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for several hours, you can mini - |
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is able to treat up to 53,000,000 gallons a day to help |
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mize the potential for lead expo - |
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meet the needs of our customers . |
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sure by flushing your tap for 30 |
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SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT |
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seconds to 2 minutes before using |
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Columbia County Water Utility completed a Source |
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water for drinking or cooking. If |
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Water Assessment study in April of 2002 . T his assess - |
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you are concer ned about lead in |
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ment identifies potential pollutant sources that could |
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your water, you may wish to have |
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contaminate the water supply. In the ranking of High, |
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your water tested . Infor mation on |
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Medium, and Low for potential pollutants, our water |
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lead in drinking water, testing |
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supply was ranked Low at both the Jim Blanchard Water |
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methods, and steps you can take |
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Treatment Plant and the Clarks Hill Water Treatment |
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to minimize exposure is available |
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Plant . T his assessment is available to the public . If you |
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from the Safe Drinking Water |
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would like to review or purchase a copy, please call |
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Hotline or at http://ww - |
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(706) 863 - 6928 during nor mal business hours . |
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w. epa . gov/safewater/lead . |
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Columbia County Water Utility (CCWU) Quality Data for 2020
Regulated Inorganic Substances Detected in Treated Water Entering Distribution System
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Substance (Units) |
Maximum |
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Maximum |
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Average |
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Range |
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Sample |
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Did CCWU |
Major Sources and Health Effects |
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Level Allowed |
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Level Goal |
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Detected |
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Detected in |
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Date |
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Meet |
in Drinking Water |
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(MCL) |
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(MCLG) |
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in CCWU |
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CCWU |
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Requirements |
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Fluoride (ppm) |
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4 |
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4 |
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0.66 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
Water additive which promotes strong teeth. |
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Nitrate (ppm) |
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10 |
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10 |
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0.24 |
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0.2 - 0.28 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
Runoff from fertilizer use; septic tank leachate. |
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Turbidity (ntu) |
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TT |
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n/a |
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Maximum Detected = 0.29 |
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n/a |
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2020 |
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Yes |
Soil runoff and erosion of riverbanks and shoreline. |
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TT=percentage of |
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Percent Below 0.3ntu |
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2020 |
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Turbidity (percent) |
samples < 0.3ntu |
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n/a |
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100% |
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n/a |
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2020 |
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Yes |
Soil runoff and erosion of riverbanks and shoreline. |
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Regulated Inorganic Substances Detected in Treated Water at Tap |
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Substance (Units) |
Action |
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Maximum |
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90th |
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Number of |
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Previous |
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Did CCWU |
Corrosion of household plumbing; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservative. |
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Level Allowed |
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Level Goal |
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Percentile |
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sites above |
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Sample |
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Meet |
Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could |
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# of sites tested |
(AL) |
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(MCLG) |
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in CCWU |
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AL |
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Date |
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Requirements |
experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in |
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Copper (ppm) |
50 |
1.3 |
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1.3 |
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0.19 |
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0 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop |
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Lead (ppb) |
50 |
15 |
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0 |
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2.0 |
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0 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
kidney problems or high blood pressure. |
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Regulated Organic Substances Detected in Treated Water at Tap |
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Substance (Units) |
Max Yearly |
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Maximum |
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Max Yearly |
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Annual Range |
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Sample |
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Did CCWU |
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Average Allowed |
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Level Goal |
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Site LRAA |
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Detected in |
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Date |
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Meet |
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(MCL) |
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(MCLG) |
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Detected in CCWU |
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CCWU |
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Requirements |
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Total Trihalomethanes (ppb) |
80 |
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n/a |
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49.8 |
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21.8 - 73.8 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
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Total Haloacetic Acids (ppb) |
60 |
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n/a |
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30.9 |
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11.8 - 40 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
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Substance (Units) |
Maximum |
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Maximum |
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Yearly |
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Range |
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Sample |
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Did CCWU |
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Residual Level |
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Level Goal |
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Average Detected |
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Detected in |
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Date |
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Meet |
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Allowed (MRDL) |
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(MRDLG) |
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in CCWU |
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CCWU |
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1 |
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Requirements |
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Chlorine (ppm) |
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4 |
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4 |
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1.3 |
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0 - 2.2 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
Water additive used to control microbes. |
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Total Organic Carbon (ppm) |
TT |
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n/a |
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1.5 |
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1.1 - 1.8 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
Naturally present in the environment. |
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Regulated |
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Bacteriological |
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Sampling |
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Substance (Units) |
Number of Required |
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Maximum |
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Number |
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Highest Monthly |
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Sample |
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Did CCWU |
Coliform bacteria, including |
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Samples Collected |
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Level Allowed |
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of |
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Percent |
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Date |
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Meet |
and |
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Per Month |
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(MCL) |
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Violations |
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Requirements |
human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause |
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diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special risk for |
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Total Coliforms |
(P/A) |
100 |
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5.00% |
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0 |
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3% |
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2020 |
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Yes |
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100 |
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MCLG = 0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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2020 |
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Yes |
infants, young children, some elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. |
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For Your Information |
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Definitions |
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Normal Range |
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Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water |
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Substance |
Detected in |
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system must follow. |
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CCWU |
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Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to |
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the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. |
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Sodium |
9.40 ppm - 11.0 ppm |
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Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or |
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expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. |
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Alkalinity |
15 ppm - 20 ppm on average |
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Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): Maximum disinfectant residual allowed in the distribution system. |
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Not Detected (nd): The amount of a material in a sample that was not detected during analytical testing. |
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Hardness |
1 - 40 ppm on average (Soft Water) |
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Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. |
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Parts per Billion (ppb): One part per billion is equivalent to one penny in 10 million dollars. |
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pH |
6.5 - 8.5 |
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Parts per Million (ppm): One part per million is equivalent to one penny in 10 thousand dollars…... (1 ppm = 1 mg/L) |
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Violation: Failure to comply with any drinking water regulation. |
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Iron |
< 0.3 mg/L on average |
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LRAA - Locational Running Annual Average |
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Columbia County Water Utility monitors for unregulated parameters in order to assist the EPA in determining where certain contaminants occur and whether additional regulations may be necessary. |
Please Call |
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Below is a list of the Unregulated Contaminants that were detected in the Columbia County drinking water in 2019. |
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For more information about the CCWU (ID # 0730000), please contact the Water Laboratory |
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Parameter |
MCL |
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MCLG |
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CCWU - Ranges ug/L |
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CCWU - Average ug/L |
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Sample Date |
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Violation |
Manager, Rodney Silvey at (706) |
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Bromochloroacetic acid |
Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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1.10 - 2.6 |
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1.8 |
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2019 |
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N/A |
at (706) |
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Bromodichloroacedic acid |
Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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1.10 - 2.0 |
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1.5 |
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2019 |
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There is no MCL for these |
month at 8:30 am in the Auditorium at the Evans Government Center. |
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Chlorodibromoacetic acid |
Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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0.31 - 0.57 |
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0.18 |
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2019 |
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Parameters |
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Monobromoacedic acid |
Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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0.31 - 0.34 |
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0.05 |
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2019 |
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Dichloroacetic acid |
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Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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5.7 - 16 |
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10.62 |
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2019 |
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Columbia County Water Utliltiy was involved in a study of our source water for Cryptosporidium. |
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Monobromoacedic acid |
Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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0.0 - 3.0 |
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0.75 |
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2019 |
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Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can cause intestinal disease. |
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Trichloroacetic acid |
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Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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5.1 - 15 |
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8.85 |
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2019 |
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People with weakened immune systems may develop serious, chronic, and sometimes fatal illness. |
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Manganese |
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Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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0.65 - 17 |
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4.3 |
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2019 |
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This Study ended in September 2015 and showed no Cryptosporidium in our source waters. |
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Total Organic Carbon (PPM) |
Not Regulated |
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Not Regulated |
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1.4 - 2.4 |
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1.9 |
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2019 |
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This report contains important information about our drinking water. To translate it, or to speak with someone who understands it please call |
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Spanish: Este informe contiene información importante acerca de nuestra agua potable. Para traducirlo, o para hablar con alguien que entiende que por favor llame al |
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Contaminants
Columbia County
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 101967
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 15
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Chlorate
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Manganese
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Nitrate and nitrite
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.