Public water system · MN1310007
ActiveDeer River
At a glance
Deer River (PWSID MN1310007) is an active community water system in Itasca County, Minnesota. It reports serving 942 people through 365 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2001.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
942
Service connections
365
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Deer River compare with other water systems in Itasca County?
By EPA's size categories, Deer River is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Itasca County has 228 active public water systems, and Deer River is the 6th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 6.9 times the county average of 136 people per system, and accounts for 3% of the 30,939 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 Deer River 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 Deer River?
EPA lists Deer River 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. 19 of the 228 active systems in Itasca County (8.3%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Deer River have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2001. The violations listed here began between January 1994 and February 2001. By type: 3 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1997-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 4 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.
Deer River: frequently asked questions
Who runs Deer River?
Deer River (PWSID MN1310007) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Deer River serve?
Deer River reports serving 942 people through 365 service connections in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Where does Deer River 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 Deer River have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2001. 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 Deer River'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 4 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2001. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Deer River's water quality report?
As a community water system, Deer River 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 Itasca County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | Itasca | 11,346 | Community | Groundwater |
| Coleraine | Itasca | 1,997 | Community | Groundwater |
| Keewatin | Itasca | 1,068 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cohasset Municipal Water System | Itasca | 1,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Nashwauk | Itasca | 971 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bovey | Itasca | 821 | 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, “Deer River, PWSID MN1310007, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/deer-river-mn1310007 (data as of October 1, 2026).