Public water system · MN1730033
ActiveSaint Joseph
At a glance
Saint Joseph (PWSID MN1730033) is an active community water system in Stearns County, Minnesota. It reports serving 7,100 people through 1,887 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; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
7,100
Service connections
1,887
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Saint Joseph compare with other water systems in Stearns County?
By EPA's size categories, Saint Joseph is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Stearns County has 212 active public water systems, and Saint Joseph is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 9.1 times the county average of 783 people per system, and accounts for 4.3% 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 Saint Joseph is roughly in line with 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 Saint Joseph?
EPA lists Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between September 1991 and July 2025. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 1 reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 3 as resolved and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1993-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | 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.
Saint Joseph: frequently asked questions
Who runs Saint Joseph?
Saint Joseph (PWSID MN1730033) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Saint Joseph serve?
Saint Joseph reports serving 7,100 people through 1,887 service connections in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Where does Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Saint Joseph'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; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Saint Joseph's water quality report?
As a community water system, Saint Joseph 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 |
| Sauk Centre | Stearns | 4,657 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cold Spring | Stearns | 4,201 | Community | Groundwater |
| Melrose | Stearns | 3,886 | 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, “Saint Joseph, PWSID MN1730033, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/saint-joseph-mn1730033 (data as of October 1, 2026).