Barnes County, North Dakota — public water systems
At a glance
9 active public water systems are filed under Barnes County, North Dakota in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 12,391 people served. The largest is City of Valley City, which reports serving 6,585 people. All 9 are community water systems serving people where they live.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
9
Population served
12.4K
Community systems
9
Groundwater share
88.9%
How does Barnes County compare with other North Dakota counties?
Barnes County has the 12th-most active public water systems among the 61 counties listed for active North Dakota systems in EPA records; among the 49 with 3 or more systems, the median has 6. Its systems report 12,391 people served in total, the 11th-largest county figure in the state and 1.6% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 1,377 people, about 26% below the North Dakota average of 1,864. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Barnes County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Barnes County's active systems draw on purchased groundwater (7, 78%), surface water (1, 11%) and groundwater (1, 11%). Overall, 89% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 11% on surface water, compared with 74% and 26% across North Dakota. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, City of Valley City, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Barnes County?
Barnes County's active systems break down as 9 community systems (100%). 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. EPA lists their owner types as local government (89%) and private (11%).
Water systems in Barnes County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley City City of | Barnes | 6,585 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Barnes Rural Water District | Barnes | 4,938 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Wimbledon City of | Barnes | 216 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 4 | Sanborn City of | Barnes | 192 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 5 | Litchville City of | Barnes | 172 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 6 | Oriska City of | Barnes | 118 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 7 | Dazey City of | Barnes | 78 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 8 | Nome City of | Barnes | 62 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 9 | Sibley City of | Barnes | 30 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
Barnes County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Barnes County, North Dakota?
EPA's SDWIS records file 9 active public water systems under Barnes County, North Dakota: 9 community systems (100%).
Who supplies drinking water in Barnes County, ND?
The largest community water systems filed under Barnes County are City of Valley City (6,585 people served), Barnes Rural Water District (4,938 people served) and City of Wimbledon (216 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Barnes County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 9 active public water systems in Barnes County, 89% draw mainly on groundwater and 11% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Valley City, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Barnes County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 9 community systems are filed under Barnes County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Barnes County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More North Dakota water systems
- All North Dakota public water systems· 403 active
- Burleigh County· 12 systems
- McKenzie County· 12 systems
- LaMoure County· 10 systems
- Mercer County· 10 systems
- Grand Forks County· 9 systems
- Stutsman County· 9 systems
- How to find out who supplies your drinking water
- How to find and read your annual water quality report
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, “Public water systems in Barnes County, North Dakota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-dakota/barnes (data as of October 1, 2026).