Public water system · MN1570003
ActiveThief River Falls
At a glance
Thief River Falls (PWSID MN1570003) is an active community water system in Pennington County, Minnesota. It reports serving 8,701 people through 3,503 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
8,701
Service connections
3,503
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Thief River Falls compare with other water systems in Pennington County?
By EPA's size categories, Thief River Falls is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Pennington County has 22 active public water systems, and Thief River Falls is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 19 times the county average of 459 people per system, and accounts for 86% of the 10,089 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 Thief River Falls is about 30% above 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 61 Minnesota systems (0.9%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Thief River Falls?
EPA lists Thief River Falls 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. 3 of the 22 active systems in Pennington County (14%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Thief River Falls have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between September 2017 and January 2025. By type: 11 required treatment not met and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (11 of them). EPA lists 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Archived |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-07-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-06-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-05-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-04-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-03-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-02-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-12-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-10-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-09-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
The 12 most recent 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.
Thief River Falls: frequently asked questions
Who runs Thief River Falls?
Thief River Falls (PWSID MN1570003) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Thief River Falls serve?
Thief River Falls reports serving 8,701 people through 3,503 service connections in Pennington County, Minnesota.
Where does Thief River Falls get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Thief River Falls have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 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 Thief River Falls' 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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 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 Thief River Falls' water quality report?
As a community water system, Thief River Falls 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 Pennington County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Hilaire | Pennington | 257 | Community | Groundwater |
| Falls Cinema | Pennington | 140 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Johnson'S Riverside, Inc.. | Pennington | 100 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Goodridge | Pennington | 100 | Community | Groundwater |
| Oak Park Lutheran Church | Pennington | 100 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Country Estates Mobile Home Park | Pennington | 90 | 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, “Thief River Falls, PWSID MN1570003, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/thief-river-falls-mn1570003 (data as of October 1, 2026).