Public water system · MN1690035
ActiveMountain Iron
At a glance
Mountain Iron (PWSID MN1690035) is an active community water system in St. Louis County, Minnesota. It reports serving 2,880 people through 937 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,880
Service connections
937
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Mountain Iron compare with other water systems in St. Louis County?
By EPA's size categories, Mountain Iron is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). St. Louis County has 356 active public water systems. Its population served is about 5.7 times the county average of 505 people per system, and accounts for 1.6% of the 179,795 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 Mountain Iron is about 57% 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 Mountain Iron?
EPA lists Mountain Iron 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. 38 of the 356 active systems in St. Louis County (11%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Mountain Iron have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2021. The violations listed here began between January 1993 and April 2021. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 of them). EPA lists 3 as resolved and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 4 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.
Mountain Iron: frequently asked questions
Who runs Mountain Iron?
Mountain Iron (PWSID MN1690035) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Mountain Iron serve?
Mountain Iron reports serving 2,880 people through 937 service connections in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Where does Mountain Iron 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 Mountain Iron have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2021. 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 Mountain Iron'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 4 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2021. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Mountain Iron's water quality report?
As a community water system, Mountain Iron 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 St. Louis County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | St. Louis | 86,859 | Community | Surface water |
| Hibbing | St. Louis | 16,028 | Community | Groundwater |
| Virginia | St. Louis | 8,361 | Community | Surface water |
| Hermantown | St. Louis | 7,215 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Chisholm | St. Louis | 4,940 | Community | Surface water |
| Eveleth | St. Louis | 3,770 | Community | 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, “Mountain Iron, PWSID MN1690035, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/mountain-iron-mn1690035 (data as of October 1, 2026).