Public water system · MN1820004
ActiveCottage Grove
At a glance
Cottage Grove (PWSID MN1820004) is an active community water system in Washington County, Minnesota. It reports serving 42,760 people through 13,760 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act records list no violations for this system.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
42,760
Service connections
13,760
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Cottage Grove compare with other water systems in Washington County?
By EPA's size categories, Cottage Grove is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Washington County has 192 active public water systems, and Cottage Grove is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 31 times the county average of 1,376 people per system, and accounts for 16% of the 264,205 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 Cottage Grove is about 6.4 times 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 Cottage Grove?
EPA lists Cottage Grove 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. 40 of the 192 active systems in Washington County (21%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Cottage Grove have drinking water violations?
No SDWA violations on record.
EPA's SDWA violation and enforcement data (via EPA ECHO, updated quarterly) lists no violations for Cottage Grove. For the latest compliance status, check EPA ECHO for current compliance history.
Cottage Grove: frequently asked questions
Who runs Cottage Grove?
Cottage Grove (PWSID MN1820004) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Cottage Grove serve?
Cottage Grove reports serving 42,760 people through 13,760 service connections in Washington County, Minnesota.
Where does Cottage Grove 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 Cottage Grove have any drinking water violations?
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act records list no violations for this system.
Is Cottage Grove'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 Safe Drinking Water Act records list no violations for this system. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Cottage Grove's water quality report?
As a community water system, Cottage Grove 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 Washington County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbury | Washington | 82,643 | Community | Groundwater |
| Oakdale | Washington | 30,144 | Community | Groundwater |
| Stillwater | Washington | 19,462 | Community | Groundwater |
| Hugo | Washington | 12,047 | Community | Groundwater |
| Forest Lake | Washington | 11,800 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lake Elmo | Washington | 10,978 | 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, “Cottage Grove, PWSID MN1820004, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/cottage-grove-mn1820004 (data as of October 1, 2026).