Public water system · MN5160325
ActiveBluefin Bay
At a glance
Bluefin Bay (PWSID MN5160325) is an active non-transient non-community water system in Cook County, Minnesota. It reports serving 435 people through 175 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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
435
Service connections
175
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
NTNCWS
Non-transient non-community water system
System record
How does Bluefin Bay compare with other water systems in Cook County?
By EPA's size categories, Bluefin Bay is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Cook County has 98 active public water systems, and Bluefin Bay is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 5.1 times the county average of 85 people per system, and accounts for 5.2% of the 8,349 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Minnesota, the 6,465 active systems average 820 people each. Nationally, the average active non-transient non-community water system reports serving 430 people, so Bluefin Bay is roughly in line with that figure.
What does “non-transient non-community water system” mean?
A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. Minnesota has 470 active non-transient non-community water systems, 7.3% 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 Bluefin Bay?
EPA lists Bluefin Bay 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. 83 of the 98 active systems in Cook County (85%) are also privately owned.
Does Bluefin Bay have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between October 2014 and January 2026. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 4 monitoring and 3 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Chlorine (5 of them). EPA lists 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2026-01-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-11-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Archived |
| 2019-04-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-03-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | 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.
Bluefin Bay: frequently asked questions
Who runs Bluefin Bay?
Bluefin Bay (PWSID MN5160325) is a non-transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Bluefin Bay serve?
Bluefin Bay reports serving 435 people through 175 service connections in Cook County, Minnesota.
Where does Bluefin Bay 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 Bluefin Bay have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Bluefin Bay'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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Bluefin Bay's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Bluefin Bay is a non-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 Cook County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Marais | Cook | 1,344 | Community | Surface water |
| Lamb'S Resort and Campground | Cook | 475 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Caribou Highlands Lodge | Cook | 335 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Naniboujou Lodge | Cook | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| Judge C.R. Magney State Park | Cook | 200 | Transient non-community | Surface water |
| Americinn of Tofte | Cook | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater under influence of 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, “Bluefin Bay, PWSID MN5160325, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/bluefin-bay-mn5160325 (data as of October 1, 2026).