Public water system · MN1240004
ActiveAlden
At a glance
Alden (PWSID MN1240004) is an active community water system in Freeborn County, Minnesota. It reports serving 661 people through 320 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
661
Service connections
320
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Alden compare with other water systems in Freeborn County?
By EPA's size categories, Alden is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Freeborn County has 55 active public water systems, and Alden is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 26% above the county average of 526 people per system, and accounts for 2.3% of the 28,918 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Minnesota, the 6,465 active systems average 820 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Alden is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Minnesota has 987 active community water systems, 15% of the state's 6,465 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 6,261 Minnesota systems (97%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Alden?
EPA lists Alden as owned by a local government. The MN state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 19 of the 55 active systems in Freeborn County (35%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Alden have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024. The violations listed here began between April 1995 and December 2024. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting, 1 required treatment not met and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminants or rules involved are Lead and Copper Rule, Public Notice, Haloacetic acids (HAA5) and Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). EPA lists 4 as resolved and 1 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-22 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-11-03 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notice Rule Linked to Lead ALE · code 77 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 1995-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 5 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Alden: frequently asked questions
Who runs Alden?
Alden (PWSID MN1240004) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Alden serve?
Alden reports serving 661 people through 320 service connections in Freeborn County, Minnesota.
Where does Alden get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Alden have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Alden's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Alden's water quality report?
As a community water system, Alden must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Freeborn County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Lea | Freeborn | 18,492 | Community | Groundwater |
| Albert Lea Information Center Mndot | Freeborn | 1,306 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Clarks Grove | Freeborn | 695 | Community | Groundwater |
| Oakland Woods Rest Area Mndot | Freeborn | 644 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea | Freeborn | 600 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased groundwater |
| Glenville | Freeborn | 566 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Alden, PWSID MN1240004, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/alden-mn1240004 (data as of October 1, 2026).