Public water system · MN1160001
ActiveGrand Marais
At a glance
Grand Marais (PWSID MN1160001) is an active community water system in Cook County, Minnesota. It reports serving 1,344 people through 760 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,344
Service connections
760
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Grand Marais compare with other water systems in Cook County?
By EPA's size categories, Grand Marais is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Cook County has 98 active public water systems, and Grand Marais is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 16 times the county average of 85 people per system, and accounts for 16% of the 8,349 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 Grand Marais 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. 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 Grand Marais?
EPA lists Grand Marais 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. 2 of the 98 active systems in Cook County (2%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Grand Marais have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2023. The violations listed here began between April 2008 and September 2023. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2023-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Archived |
| 2012-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
All 5 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.
Grand Marais: frequently asked questions
Who runs Grand Marais?
Grand Marais (PWSID MN1160001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Grand Marais serve?
Grand Marais reports serving 1,344 people through 760 service connections in Cook County, Minnesota.
Where does Grand Marais 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 Grand Marais have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2023. 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 Grand Marais' 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 5 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in September 2023. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Grand Marais' water quality report?
As a community water system, Grand Marais 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 Cook County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb'S Resort and Campground | Cook | 475 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Bluefin Bay | Cook | 435 | Non-transient non-community | Surface water |
| Caribou Highlands Lodge | Cook | 335 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Judge C.R. Magney State Park | Cook | 200 | Transient non-community | Surface water |
| Naniboujou Lodge | Cook | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| Americinn of Tofte | Cook | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater under influence of 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, “Grand Marais, PWSID MN1160001, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/grand-marais-mn1160001 (data as of October 1, 2026).