Public water system · MN5730646
ActiveBirch Lake State Forest
At a glance
Birch Lake State Forest (PWSID MN5730646) is an active transient non-community water system in Stearns County, Minnesota. It reports serving 60 people through 6 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a state government. EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
60
Service connections
6
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Birch Lake State Forest compare with other water systems in Stearns County?
By EPA's size categories, Birch Lake State Forest is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Stearns County has 212 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 783 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 165,903 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 Birch Lake State Forest is about 58% 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. 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 Birch Lake State Forest?
EPA lists Birch Lake State Forest as owned by a state 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. 5 of the 212 active systems in Stearns County (2.4%) are also owned by a state government.
Does Birch Lake State Forest have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2015. The violations listed here began between June 2005 and June 2015. By type: 3 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 3 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.
Birch Lake State Forest: frequently asked questions
Who runs Birch Lake State Forest?
Birch Lake State Forest (PWSID MN5730646) is a transient non-community water system owned by a state government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Birch Lake State Forest serve?
Birch Lake State Forest reports serving 60 people through 6 service connections in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Where does Birch Lake State Forest 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 Birch Lake State Forest have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2015. 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 Birch Lake State Forest'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 3 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2015. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Birch Lake State Forest's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Birch Lake State Forest 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 Stearns County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Cloud | Stearns | 71,321 | Community | Surface water |
| Sartell | Stearns | 20,300 | Community | Groundwater |
| Waite Park | Stearns | 8,354 | Community | Groundwater |
| Saint Joseph | Stearns | 7,100 | Community | Groundwater |
| Sauk Centre | Stearns | 4,657 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cold Spring | Stearns | 4,201 | 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, “Birch Lake State Forest, PWSID MN5730646, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/birch-lake-state-forest-mn5730646 (data as of October 1, 2026).