Public water system · MN5690953
ActiveBig Lake Wilderness Lodge
At a glance
Big Lake Wilderness Lodge (PWSID MN5690953) is an active transient non-community water system in St. Louis County, Minnesota. It reports serving 51 people through 14 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
51
Service connections
14
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Big Lake Wilderness Lodge compare with other water systems in St. Louis County?
By EPA's size categories, Big Lake Wilderness Lodge is a very small system (500 people or fewer). St. Louis County has 356 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 505 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 179,795 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Minnesota, the 6,465 active systems average 820 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Big Lake Wilderness Lodge is about 65% below that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. Minnesota has 5,008 active transient non-community water systems, 77% of the state's 6,465 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 61 Minnesota systems (0.9%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Big Lake Wilderness Lodge?
EPA lists Big Lake Wilderness Lodge as privately owned. 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. 298 of the 356 active systems in St. Louis County (84%) are also privately owned.
Does Big Lake Wilderness Lodge have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2024. The violations listed here began between May 2013 and May 2024. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 5 required treatment not met and 2 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (5 of them). EPA lists 12 as resolved. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-06-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-05-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-06-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-07-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-05-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-05-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
The 12 most recent 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 Wilderness Lodge: frequently asked questions
Who runs Big Lake Wilderness Lodge?
Big Lake Wilderness Lodge (PWSID MN5690953) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Big Lake Wilderness Lodge serve?
Big Lake Wilderness Lodge reports serving 51 people through 14 service connections in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Where does Big Lake Wilderness Lodge get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Big Lake Wilderness Lodge have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 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 Big Lake Wilderness Lodge'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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2024. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Big Lake Wilderness Lodge's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Big Lake Wilderness Lodge is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in St. Louis County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | St. Louis | 86,859 | Community | Surface water |
| Hibbing | St. Louis | 16,028 | Community | Groundwater |
| Virginia | St. Louis | 8,361 | Community | Surface water |
| Hermantown | St. Louis | 7,215 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Chisholm | St. Louis | 4,940 | Community | Surface water |
| Eveleth | St. Louis | 3,770 | Community | Surface water |
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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 Wilderness Lodge, PWSID MN5690953, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/big-lake-wilderness-lodge-mn5690953 (data as of October 1, 2026).