Public water system · ND5201309
ActiveCentral Plains Water District
At a glance
Central Plains Water District (PWSID ND5201309) is an active community water system in Wells County, North Dakota. It reports serving 3,504 people through 1,200 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,504
Service connections
1,200
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Central Plains Water District compare with other water systems in Wells County?
By EPA's size categories, Central Plains Water District is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Wells County has 6 active public water systems, and Central Plains Water District is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 3.5 times the county average of 1,010 people per system, and accounts for 58% of the 6,057 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 Central Plains Water District is about half of 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 177 North Dakota systems (44%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Central Plains Water District?
EPA lists Central Plains Water District as privately owned. 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. 1 of the 6 active systems in Wells County (17%) are also privately owned.
Does Central Plains Water District have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005. The violations listed here began between June 1996 and July 2005. By type: 4 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Haloacetic acids (HAA5) (3 of them). EPA lists 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-07-30 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-06-01 | 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.
Central Plains Water District: frequently asked questions
Who runs Central Plains Water District?
Central Plains Water District (PWSID ND5201309) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the ND state drinking water program.
How many people does Central Plains Water District serve?
Central Plains Water District reports serving 3,504 people through 1,200 service connections in Wells County, North Dakota.
Where does Central Plains Water District 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 Central Plains Water District have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005. 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 Central Plains Water District'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; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2005. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the ND state drinking water program.
Where can I find Central Plains Water District's water quality report?
As a community water system, Central Plains Water District 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 Wells County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey City of | Wells | 1,783 | Community | Groundwater |
| Fessenden City of | Wells | 479 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Bowdon City of | Wells | 131 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Sykeston City of | Wells | 117 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Cathay City of | Wells | 43 | 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, “Central Plains Water District, PWSID ND5201309, North Dakota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-dakota/central-plains-water-district-nd5201309 (data as of October 1, 2026).