Public water system · MN1120001
ActiveClara City
At a glance
Clara City (PWSID MN1120001) is an active community water system in Chippewa County, Minnesota. It reports serving 1,372 people through 622 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,372
Service connections
622
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Clara City compare with other water systems in Chippewa County?
By EPA's size categories, Clara City is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Chippewa County has 22 active public water systems, and Clara City is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 3.3 times the county average of 415 people per system, and accounts for 15% 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 community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Clara City 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. 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 Clara City?
EPA lists Clara City 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. 7 of the 22 active systems in Chippewa County (32%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Clara City have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. The violations listed here began between March 1991 and February 2026. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting, 3 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrite (4 of them). EPA lists 5 as resolved and 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitritecode 1041 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitritecode 1041 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Nitritecode 1041 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Nitritecode 1041 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 7 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.
Clara City: frequently asked questions
Who runs Clara City?
Clara City (PWSID MN1120001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Clara City serve?
Clara City reports serving 1,372 people through 622 service connections in Chippewa County, Minnesota.
Where does Clara City 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 Clara City have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 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 Clara City'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 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Clara City's water quality report?
As a community water system, Clara City 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 Chippewa County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montevideo | Chippewa | 5,337 | 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 |
| Saron Lutheran Church | Chippewa | 175 | 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, “Clara City, PWSID MN1120001, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/clara-city-mn1120001 (data as of October 1, 2026).