Public water system · MN1170008
ActiveBingham Lake
At a glance
Bingham Lake (PWSID MN1170008) is an active community water system in Cottonwood County, Minnesota. It reports serving 128 people through 74 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in October 1993.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
128
Service connections
74
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Bingham Lake compare with other water systems in Cottonwood County?
By EPA's size categories, Bingham Lake is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Cottonwood County has 11 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,288 people per system, and accounts for 0.9% of the 14,164 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 Bingham Lake 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. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 89 Minnesota systems (1.4%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Bingham Lake?
EPA lists Bingham 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 11 active systems in Cottonwood County (73%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Bingham Lake have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in October 1993. By type: 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved is Total coliform bacteria (TCR). EPA lists 1 as archived. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
The one violation in EPA's records.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.
Bingham Lake: frequently asked questions
Who runs Bingham Lake?
Bingham Lake (PWSID MN1170008) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Bingham Lake serve?
Bingham Lake reports serving 128 people through 74 service connections in Cottonwood County, Minnesota.
Where does Bingham Lake get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Bingham Lake have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in October 1993. 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 Bingham 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 one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in October 1993. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Bingham Lake's water quality report?
As a community water system, Bingham 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 Cottonwood County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock Rural Water System | Cottonwood | 5,840 | Community | Groundwater |
| Windom | Cottonwood | 4,646 | Community | Groundwater |
| Mountain Lake | Cottonwood | 2,018 | Community | Groundwater |
| Westbrook | Cottonwood | 785 | Community | Groundwater |
| Jeffers | Cottonwood | 369 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Storden | Cottonwood | 215 | Community | Purchased 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, “Bingham Lake, PWSID MN1170008, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/bingham-lake-mn1170008 (data as of October 1, 2026).