Guide · campgrounds, RV parks, rest areas
Transient non-community water systems
Short answer
A transient non-community water system is a public water system that serves people who don't stay long: at least 15 connections, or 25 people a day on 60 or more days a year, but not 25 of the same people for six months. Campgrounds and most RV parks are the classic examples. They take coliform samples quarterly, follow the Ground Water Rule, and, if seasonal, complete a state-approved start-up each year. States often add chlorine and operator rules.
The definition
Federal rules call it a “transient non-community water system or TWS”: a non-community water system that does not regularly serve at least 25 of the same persons over six months per year (40 CFR 141.2). To be a public water system at all, it needs 15 service connections, or an average of 25 people a day on at least 60 days a year. EPA's plain-language examples are “a gas station or campground where people do not remain for long periods of time” ( EPA).
Not sure which type you are? Try the public water system checker. An RV park with many long-term residents can be a community water system instead.
Which federal rules apply
| Rule | For a small transient ground water system |
|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Coliform samples every calendar quarter the system serves water, serving 1,000 or fewer; the state can reduce this to yearly (141.854) |
| Ground Water Rule | Applies to all public water systems using ground water (141.400), including source monitoring and any required corrective action |
| Chlorine maximum and residual monitoring (Stage 1 D/DBP) | Doesn't apply to transient systems, except for chlorine dioxide (141.130) |
| Sanitary surveys | At least every five years for non-community ground water systems (142.16(o)) |
| Operator certification | Not required by EPA's guidelines for transient systems; many states require it anyway (EPA guidance) |
Seasonal start-up
A seasonal system is a non-community system that shuts down and starts up each season. Seasonal systems must demonstrate completion of a state-approved start-up procedure, which can include sampling before serving water (40 CFR 141.854(i)). What that involves depends on your state. Pennsylvania requires written certification before serving water each season (25 Pa. Code §109.715). Missouri's start-up checklist includes checking disinfectant residuals for chlorinated systems (PUB2622).
Log the start-up like any other round: what was flushed or disinfected, when samples were taken, the residual before opening, and who did it. That page of the log is what you'll point to when the state asks.
What states add
- Texas requires all ground water to be disinfected, and transient systems complete the quarterly disinfectant report and keep it on file (Texas rules).
- Ohio requires chlorination for non-community systems serving 1,000 or more people, and any that chlorinate must meet the same residuals (Ohio rules).
- Florida requires every supplier to disinfect continuously, and exempts some transient systems from the monthly report (Florida rules).
- Illinois regulates non-community systems through the Department of Public Health, not Illinois EPA (Illinois rules).
The daily log with seasonal staff
Transient systems often run on seasonal staff and camp hosts, so the log has to survive turnover. Keep the round simple and the same every day: chlorine at a named tap, the source meter, pressure, and a line for anything odd. Print the daily log sheet with those readings already on it, and make sure every entry has initials.
Questions
What are examples of transient non-community water systems?
Campgrounds, RV parks with mostly short-stay guests, highway rest areas, gas stations, restaurants, motels, and churches or camps open enough days a year, all using their own water source. EPA gives gas stations and campgrounds as examples.
What's the difference between transient and non-transient non-community?
Non-transient systems regularly serve at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year: schools, factories, offices with their own well. Transient systems serve people who don't stay long, like campers and diners.
Does a campground need a certified operator?
EPA's operator certification guidelines don't require one for transient systems, but many states do. Texas, for example, exempts transient systems using only ground water or purchased treated water from its operator licensing rule. Check your state.
Does a campground have to chlorinate?
Federal rules don't require it in general. The Ground Water Rule requires corrective action after a fecally contaminated source sample or a significant deficiency, and 4-log virus treatment is one of the options. Several states do require it: Texas requires all ground water to be disinfected, and Florida requires continuous disinfection by all suppliers.
Sources
- 40 CFR 141.2 — Definitions (public, community, non-transient and transient water systems)
- EPA — Information about public water systems
- 40 CFR 141.854 — Coliform monitoring for non-community ground water systems ≤1,000 people
- 40 CFR 141.400 — Ground Water Rule applicability
- 40 CFR 141.130 — Disinfectant residuals and byproducts: who the rule covers
- 40 CFR 142.16(o) — Sanitary survey frequency for ground water systems
- EPA 816-R-00-022 — Operator certification guidelines: implementation guidance
- 25 Pa. Code §109.715 — Seasonal systems
- Missouri DNR PUB2622 — Seasonal system start-up
- 30 TAC §290.46 — Texas minimum acceptable operating practices (records, operators)
Last reviewed September 28, 2026. Rules change and states add their own; confirm with your state drinking water program.