Public water system · MN1690049
ActiveRice Lake
At a glance
Rice Lake (PWSID MN1690049) is an active community water system in St. Louis County, Minnesota. It reports serving 1,085 people through 401 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in November 1993.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,085
Service connections
401
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Rice Lake compare with other water systems in St. Louis County?
By EPA's size categories, Rice Lake is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). St. Louis County has 356 active public water systems. Its population served is about twice the county average of 505 people per system, and accounts for 0.6% 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 Rice 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. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 37 Minnesota systems (0.6%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Rice Lake?
EPA lists Rice 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. 38 of the 356 active systems in St. Louis County (11%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Rice Lake have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in November 1993. By type: 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved is Total coliform bacteria (TCR). EPA lists 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
The one violation in EPA's records.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.
Rice Lake: frequently asked questions
Who runs Rice Lake?
Rice Lake (PWSID MN1690049) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Rice Lake serve?
Rice Lake reports serving 1,085 people through 401 service connections in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Where does Rice Lake get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Rice Lake have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in November 1993. 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 Rice 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 one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in November 1993. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Rice Lake's water quality report?
As a community water system, Rice 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 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, “Rice Lake, PWSID MN1690049, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/rice-lake-mn1690049 (data as of October 1, 2026).