Public water system · MN5120022
ActiveBuffalo Lake Lutheran Church
At a glance
Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church (PWSID MN5120022) is an active transient non-community water system in Chippewa County, Minnesota. It reports serving 30 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2014.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
30
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church compare with other water systems in Chippewa County?
By EPA's size categories, Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Chippewa County has 22 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 415 people per system, and accounts for 0.3% of the 9,138 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 Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church is well 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 Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church?
EPA lists Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church 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. 15 of the 22 active systems in Chippewa County (68%) are also privately owned.
Does Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2014. The violations listed here began between January 1995 and August 2014. By type: 3 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Nitratecode 1040 | 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.
Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church: frequently asked questions
Who runs Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church?
Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church (PWSID MN5120022) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church serve?
Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church reports serving 30 people through 1 service connection in Chippewa County, Minnesota.
Where does Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church 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 Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2014. 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 Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church'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 August 2014. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church 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 Chippewa County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montevideo | Chippewa | 5,337 | Community | Groundwater |
| Clara City | Chippewa | 1,372 | Community | Groundwater |
| Milan | Chippewa | 418 | Community | Groundwater |
| Maynard | Chippewa | 388 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bunde Christian Reformed Church | Chippewa | 375 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| St. John'S Lutheran Church & Parish | Chippewa | 200 | Transient non-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, “Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church, PWSID MN5120022, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/buffalo-lake-lutheran-church-mn5120022 (data as of October 1, 2026).