Public water system · MN1240008
ActiveFreeborn
At a glance
Freeborn (PWSID MN1240008) is an active community water system in Freeborn County, Minnesota. It reports serving 259 people through 136 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2016.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
259
Service connections
136
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Freeborn compare with other water systems in Freeborn County?
By EPA's size categories, Freeborn is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Freeborn County has 55 active public water systems. Its population served is about half of the county average of 526 people per system, and accounts for 0.9% of the 28,918 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 Freeborn 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. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 89 Minnesota systems (1.4%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Freeborn?
EPA lists Freeborn 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 55 active systems in Freeborn County (35%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Freeborn have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2016. The violations listed here began between July 1993 and January 2016. By type: 4 contaminant level above the legal limit and 3 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Arsenic (4 of them). EPA lists 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-01-29 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | 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.
Freeborn: frequently asked questions
Who runs Freeborn?
Freeborn (PWSID MN1240008) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Freeborn serve?
Freeborn reports serving 259 people through 136 service connections in Freeborn County, Minnesota.
Where does Freeborn get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Freeborn have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2016. 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 Freeborn'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; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2016. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Freeborn's water quality report?
As a community water system, Freeborn 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 Freeborn County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Lea | Freeborn | 18,492 | Community | Groundwater |
| Albert Lea Information Center Mndot | Freeborn | 1,306 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Clarks Grove | Freeborn | 695 | Community | Groundwater |
| Alden | Freeborn | 661 | Community | Groundwater |
| Oakland Woods Rest Area Mndot | Freeborn | 644 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea | Freeborn | 600 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased 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, “Freeborn, PWSID MN1240008, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/freeborn-mn1240008 (data as of October 1, 2026).