Public water system · MN1690051
ActiveTower
At a glance
Tower (PWSID MN1690051) is an active community water system in St. Louis County, Minnesota. It reports serving 426 people through 247 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2016.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
426
Service connections
247
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Tower compare with other water systems in St. Louis County?
By EPA's size categories, Tower is a very small system (500 people or fewer). St. Louis County has 356 active public water systems. Its population served is about 16% below the county average of 505 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% 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 Tower 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 groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 89 Minnesota systems (1.4%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Tower?
EPA lists Tower 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 Tower have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2016. The violations listed here began between July 1991 and April 2016. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1999-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 7 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.
Tower: frequently asked questions
Who runs Tower?
Tower (PWSID MN1690051) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MN state drinking water program.
How many people does Tower serve?
Tower reports serving 426 people through 247 service connections in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Where does Tower get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Tower have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2016. 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 Tower'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 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2016. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MN state drinking water program.
Where can I find Tower's water quality report?
As a community water system, Tower 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, “Tower, PWSID MN1690051, Minnesota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/minnesota/tower-mn1690051 (data as of October 1, 2026).