Public water system · MN1240012
ActiveHayward
At a glance
Hayward (PWSID MN1240012) is an active community water system in Freeborn County, Minnesota. It reports serving 254 people through 123 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
254
Service connections
123
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Hayward compare with other water systems in Freeborn County?
By EPA's size categories, Hayward 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 Hayward 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 Hayward?
EPA lists Hayward 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 Hayward have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between October 1994 and January 2025. By type: 9 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) (9 of them). EPA lists 10 as archived. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2023-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2022-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2022-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2022-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2021-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 1994-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 10 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.
Hayward: frequently asked questions
Who runs Hayward?
Hayward (PWSID MN1240012) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Hayward serve?
Hayward reports serving 254 people through 123 service connections in Freeborn County, Minnesota.
Where does Hayward 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 Hayward have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. 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 Hayward'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 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Hayward's water quality report?
As a community water system, Hayward 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 |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Hayward, PWSID MN1240012, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/hayward-mn1240012 (data as of October 1, 2026).