Public water system · ND3900196
ActiveColfax City of
At a glance
City of Colfax (PWSID ND3900196) is an active community water system in Richland County, North Dakota. It reports serving 121 people through 43 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2014.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
121
Service connections
43
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Colfax compare with other water systems in Richland County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Colfax is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Richland County has 14 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,110 people per system, and accounts for 0.8% of the 15,546 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 Colfax 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 Colfax?
EPA lists City of Colfax 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. 12 of the 14 active systems in Richland County (86%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Colfax have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2014. The violations listed here began between December 1991 and July 2014. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (8 of them). EPA lists 8 as archived, 3 as resolved and 1 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 2006-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1994-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1994-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1993-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-05-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, Public · code 06 | 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 |
| 1991-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
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.
City of Colfax: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Colfax?
City of Colfax (PWSID ND3900196) 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 Colfax serve?
City of Colfax reports serving 121 people through 43 service connections in Richland County, North Dakota.
Where does City of Colfax 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 Colfax have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2014. 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 Colfax'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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2014. 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 Colfax's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Colfax 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 Richland County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wahpeton City of | Richland | 7,766 | Community | Groundwater |
| Southeast Wud (East) | Richland | 4,225 | Community | Groundwater |
| Hankinson City of | Richland | 919 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Lidgerwood City of | Richland | 652 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Wyndmere City of | Richland | 429 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Fairmount City of | Richland | 367 | 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, “Colfax City of, PWSID ND3900196, North Dakota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-dakota/colfax-city-of-nd3900196 (data as of October 1, 2026).