Public water system · MN1690004
ActiveBiwabik
At a glance
Biwabik (PWSID MN1690004) is an active community water system in St. Louis County, Minnesota. It reports serving 975 people through 663 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
975
Service connections
663
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Biwabik compare with other water systems in St. Louis County?
By EPA's size categories, Biwabik is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). St. Louis County has 356 active public water systems. Its population served is about twice the county average of 505 people per system, and accounts for 0.5% 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 community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Biwabik 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. 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 Biwabik?
EPA lists Biwabik 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. 38 of the 356 active systems in St. Louis County (11%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Biwabik have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2019. The violations listed here began between December 1996 and May 2019. By type: 2 required treatment not met and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-03-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
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.
Biwabik: frequently asked questions
Who runs Biwabik?
Biwabik (PWSID MN1690004) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Biwabik serve?
Biwabik reports serving 975 people through 663 service connections in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Where does Biwabik 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 Biwabik have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2019. 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 Biwabik'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; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Biwabik's water quality report?
As a community water system, Biwabik 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 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, “Biwabik, PWSID MN1690004, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/biwabik-mn1690004 (data as of October 1, 2026).