Public water system · MN1740005
ActiveMedford
At a glance
Medford (PWSID MN1740005) is an active community water system in Steele County, Minnesota. It reports serving 1,200 people through 500 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,200
Service connections
500
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Medford compare with other water systems in Steele County?
By EPA's size categories, Medford is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Steele County has 35 active public water systems, and Medford is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 17% above the county average of 1,024 people per system, and accounts for 3.3% of the 35,842 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 Medford 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 Medford?
EPA lists Medford 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. 6 of the 35 active systems in Steele County (17%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Medford have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between April 1994 and January 2025. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting and 3 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Combined Radium (-226 and -228) (2 of them). EPA lists 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingWater Quality Parameter M/R · code 53 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-10-28 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1999-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1994-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 6 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.
Medford: frequently asked questions
Who runs Medford?
Medford (PWSID MN1740005) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Medford serve?
Medford reports serving 1,200 people through 500 service connections in Steele County, Minnesota.
Where does Medford 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 Medford have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 3 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 Medford'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 6 violations for this system; 3 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 Medford's water quality report?
As a community water system, Medford 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 Steele County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owatonna | Steele | 26,430 | Community | Groundwater |
| Blooming Prairie | Steele | 1,987 | Community | Groundwater |
| Straight River Rest Area South Mndot | Steele | 1,893 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Straight River Rest Area North Mndot | Steele | 1,206 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Ellendale | Steele | 636 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lazy U Community | Steele | 426 | 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, “Medford, PWSID MN1740005, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/medford-mn1740005 (data as of October 1, 2026).