Public water system · MN1430006
ActiveLester Prairie
At a glance
Lester Prairie (PWSID MN1430006) is an active community water system in McLeod County, Minnesota. It reports serving 1,904 people through 665 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in June 1992.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,904
Service connections
665
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Lester Prairie compare with other water systems in McLeod County?
By EPA's size categories, Lester Prairie is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). McLeod County has 39 active public water systems, and Lester Prairie is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 138% above the county average of 799 people per system, and accounts for 6.1% of the 31,157 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 Lester Prairie 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 Lester Prairie?
EPA lists Lester Prairie 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. 11 of the 39 active systems in McLeod County (28%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Lester Prairie have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in June 1992. The violations listed here began between October 1991 and June 1992. By type: 2 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 of them). EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
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.
Lester Prairie: frequently asked questions
Who runs Lester Prairie?
Lester Prairie (PWSID MN1430006) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Lester Prairie serve?
Lester Prairie reports serving 1,904 people through 665 service connections in McLeod County, Minnesota.
Where does Lester Prairie 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 Lester Prairie have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in June 1992. 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 Lester Prairie'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; none is health-based, and the most recent began in June 1992. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Lester Prairie's water quality report?
As a community water system, Lester Prairie 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 McLeod County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson | McLeod | 14,900 | Community | Groundwater |
| Glencoe | McLeod | 5,676 | Community | Groundwater |
| Winsted | McLeod | 2,226 | Community | Groundwater |
| Seneca Foods Corporation | McLeod | 900 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Silver Lake | McLeod | 850 | Community | Groundwater |
| Brownton | McLeod | 722 | 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, “Lester Prairie, PWSID MN1430006, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/lester-prairie-mn1430006 (data as of October 1, 2026).