Public water system · MN1710002
ActiveBig Lake
At a glance
Big Lake (PWSID MN1710002) is an active community water system in Sherburne County, Minnesota. It reports serving 13,056 people through 4,025 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 March 2009.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
13,056
Service connections
4,025
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Big Lake compare with other water systems in Sherburne County?
By EPA's size categories, Big Lake is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Sherburne County has 78 active public water systems, and Big Lake is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 17 times the county average of 753 people per system, and accounts for 22% of the 58,729 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 Big Lake is about twice 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 Big Lake?
EPA lists Big Lake 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. 8 of the 78 active systems in Sherburne County (10%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Big Lake have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2009. The violations listed here began between December 1992 and March 2009. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 3 as resolved and 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | 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.
Big Lake: frequently asked questions
Who runs Big Lake?
Big Lake (PWSID MN1710002) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Big Lake serve?
Big Lake reports serving 13,056 people through 4,025 service connections in Sherburne County, Minnesota.
Where does Big Lake 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 Big Lake have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2009. 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 Big Lake'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 March 2009. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Big Lake's water quality report?
As a community water system, Big Lake 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 Sherburne County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk River | Sherburne | 19,532 | Community | Groundwater |
| Zimmerman | Sherburne | 6,772 | Community | Groundwater |
| Becker | Sherburne | 5,034 | Community | Groundwater |
| Riverside Church | Sherburne | 1,500 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| St. Cloud Travel Information Mndot | Sherburne | 1,298 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Clear Lake | Sherburne | 802 | 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, “Big Lake, PWSID MN1710002, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/big-lake-mn1710002 (data as of October 1, 2026).