Public water system · MN1860010
ActiveHoward Lake
At a glance
Howard Lake (PWSID MN1860010) is an active community water system in Wright County, Minnesota. It reports serving 2,180 people through 1,120 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,180
Service connections
1,120
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Howard Lake compare with other water systems in Wright County?
By EPA's size categories, Howard Lake is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Wright County has 126 active public water systems. Its population served is about twice the county average of 1,027 people per system, and accounts for 1.7% of the 129,374 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 Howard Lake 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 Howard Lake?
EPA lists Howard Lake 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. 26 of the 126 active systems in Wright County (21%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Howard Lake have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022. The violations listed here began between October 1987 and January 2022. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 5 as resolved and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 1994-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1987-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
All 8 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.
Howard Lake: frequently asked questions
Who runs Howard Lake?
Howard Lake (PWSID MN1860010) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Howard Lake serve?
Howard Lake reports serving 2,180 people through 1,120 service connections in Wright County, Minnesota.
Where does Howard Lake 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 Howard Lake have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022. 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 Howard Lake'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 8 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Howard Lake's water quality report?
As a community water system, Howard Lake 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 Wright County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Powers Water Board | Wright | 30,922 | Community | Groundwater |
| Otsego | Wright | 19,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Buffalo | Wright | 16,711 | Community | Groundwater |
| Monticello | Wright | 15,087 | Community | Groundwater |
| Delano Municipal Utilities | Wright | 6,564 | Community | Groundwater |
| Rockford | Wright | 4,863 | 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, “Howard Lake, PWSID MN1860010, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/howard-lake-mn1860010 (data as of October 1, 2026).