Public water system · ND0700198
ActiveColumbus City of
At a glance
City of Columbus (PWSID ND0700198) is an active community water system in Burke County, North Dakota. It reports serving 133 people through 128 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
133
Service connections
128
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Columbus compare with other water systems in Burke County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Columbus is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Burke County has 7 active public water systems, and City of Columbus is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 19% below the county average of 164 people per system, and accounts for 12% 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 Columbus 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 surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 83 North Dakota systems (21%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Columbus?
EPA lists City of Columbus 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 Columbus have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018. The violations listed here began between July 2014 and July 2018. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting, 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 3 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Chloramine (4 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 as unaddressed. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2016-05-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2014-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Unaddressed |
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 Columbus: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Columbus?
City of Columbus (PWSID ND0700198) 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 Columbus serve?
City of Columbus reports serving 133 people through 128 service connections in Burke County, North Dakota.
Where does City of Columbus get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does City of Columbus have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018. 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 Columbus' 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018. 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 Columbus' water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Columbus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowbells City of | Burke | 336 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Powers Lake City of | Burke | 280 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lignite City of | Burke | 155 | Community | Groundwater |
| 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, “Columbus City of, PWSID ND0700198, North Dakota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-dakota/columbus-city-of-nd0700198 (data as of October 1, 2026).