Public water system · MN1730018
ActivePaynesville
At a glance
Paynesville (PWSID MN1730018) is an active community water system in Stearns County, Minnesota. It reports serving 2,575 people through 1,062 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act records list no violations for this system.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,575
Service connections
1,062
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Paynesville compare with other water systems in Stearns County?
By EPA's size categories, Paynesville is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Stearns County has 212 active public water systems. Its population served is about 3.3 times the county average of 783 people per system, and accounts for 1.6% of the 165,903 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 Paynesville is about 62% 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 Paynesville?
EPA lists Paynesville 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. 36 of the 212 active systems in Stearns County (17%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Paynesville have drinking water violations?
No SDWA violations on record.
EPA's SDWA violation and enforcement data (via EPA ECHO, updated quarterly) lists no violations for Paynesville. For the latest compliance status, check EPA ECHO for current compliance history.
Paynesville: frequently asked questions
Who runs Paynesville?
Paynesville (PWSID MN1730018) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Paynesville serve?
Paynesville reports serving 2,575 people through 1,062 service connections in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Where does Paynesville 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 Paynesville have any drinking water violations?
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act records list no violations for this system.
Is Paynesville'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 Safe Drinking Water Act records list no violations for this system. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Paynesville's water quality report?
As a community water system, Paynesville 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 Stearns County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Cloud | Stearns | 71,321 | Community | Surface water |
| Sartell | Stearns | 20,300 | Community | Groundwater |
| Waite Park | Stearns | 8,354 | Community | Groundwater |
| Saint Joseph | Stearns | 7,100 | Community | Groundwater |
| Sauk Centre | Stearns | 4,657 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cold Spring | Stearns | 4,201 | Community | 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, “Paynesville, PWSID MN1730018, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/paynesville-mn1730018 (data as of October 1, 2026).