Public water system · MN1690011
ActiveDuluth
At a glance
Duluth (PWSID MN1690011) is an active community water system in St. Louis County, Minnesota. It reports serving 86,859 people through 28,850 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
86,859
Service connections
28,850
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Duluth compare with other water systems in St. Louis County?
By EPA's size categories, Duluth is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). St. Louis County has 356 active public water systems, and Duluth is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 172 times the county average of 505 people per system, and accounts for 48% of the 179,795 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 Duluth is about 13 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. 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 Duluth?
EPA lists Duluth 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. 38 of the 356 active systems in St. Louis County (11%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Duluth have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017. The violations listed here began between October 2017 and October 2017. By type: 1 monitoring and reporting and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-10-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
All 2 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.
Duluth: frequently asked questions
Who runs Duluth?
Duluth (PWSID MN1690011) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Duluth serve?
Duluth reports serving 86,859 people through 28,850 service connections in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Where does Duluth 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 Duluth have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017. 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 Duluth'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 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Duluth's water quality report?
As a community water system, Duluth 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 St. Louis County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hibbing | St. Louis | 16,028 | Community | Groundwater |
| Virginia | St. Louis | 8,361 | Community | Surface water |
| Hermantown | St. Louis | 7,215 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Chisholm | St. Louis | 4,940 | Community | Surface water |
| Eveleth | St. Louis | 3,770 | Community | Surface water |
| Ely | St. Louis | 3,258 | Community | 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, “Duluth, PWSID MN1690011, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/duluth-mn1690011 (data as of October 1, 2026).