Public water system · ND0700114
ActiveBowbells City of
At a glance
City of Bowbells (PWSID ND0700114) is an active community water system in Burke County, North Dakota. It reports serving 336 people through 266 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
336
Service connections
266
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Bowbells compare with other water systems in Burke County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Bowbells is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Burke County has 7 active public water systems, and City of Bowbells is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 164 people per system, and accounts for 29% of the 1,146 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across North Dakota, the 403 active systems average 1,864 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Bowbells 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. North Dakota has 317 active community water systems, 79% of the state's 403 active systems. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 114 North Dakota systems (28%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Bowbells?
EPA lists City of Bowbells as owned by a local government. The ND state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 6 of the 7 active systems in Burke County (86%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Bowbells have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015. The violations listed here began between May 1991 and April 2015. By type: 9 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (7 of them). EPA lists 6 as archived and 4 as resolved. 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. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1994-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1993-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1993-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1993-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1992-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
All 10 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.
City of Bowbells: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Bowbells?
City of Bowbells (PWSID ND0700114) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the ND state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Bowbells serve?
City of Bowbells reports serving 336 people through 266 service connections in Burke County, North Dakota.
Where does City of Bowbells 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 City of Bowbells have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015. 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 City of Bowbells' 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 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2015. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the ND state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Bowbells' water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Bowbells 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 Burke County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powers Lake City of | Burke | 280 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lignite City of | Burke | 155 | Community | Groundwater |
| Columbus City of | Burke | 133 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Portal City of | Burke | 126 | Community | Groundwater |
| Flaxton City of | Burke | 66 | Community | Groundwater |
| The Food Barn | Burke | 50 | Transient non-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, “Bowbells City of, PWSID ND0700114, North Dakota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-dakota/bowbells-city-of-nd0700114 (data as of October 1, 2026).