Public water system · ND1700870
ActiveSentinel Butte City of
At a glance
City of Sentinel Butte (PWSID ND1700870) is an active community water system in Golden Valley County, North Dakota. It reports serving 56 people through 41 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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
56
Service connections
41
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Sentinel Butte compare with other water systems in Golden Valley County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Sentinel Butte is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Golden Valley County has 3 active public water systems, and City of Sentinel Butte is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is well below the county average of 366 people per system, and accounts for 5.1% of the 1,098 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 Sentinel Butte 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 Sentinel Butte?
EPA lists City of Sentinel Butte 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. 3 of the 3 active systems in Golden Valley County (100%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Sentinel Butte have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between August 1993 and January 2026. By type: 8 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 3 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Consumer Confidence Rule (8 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved, 3 as archived and 2 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. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Archived |
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloraminecode 1006 | No | Archived |
| 2019-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2019-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2017-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | 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 Sentinel Butte: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Sentinel Butte?
City of Sentinel Butte (PWSID ND1700870) 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 Sentinel Butte serve?
City of Sentinel Butte reports serving 56 people through 41 service connections in Golden Valley County, North Dakota.
Where does City of Sentinel Butte 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 Sentinel Butte have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Sentinel Butte'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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Sentinel Butte's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Sentinel Butte 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 Golden Valley County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach City of | Golden Valley | 981 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Golva City of | Golden Valley | 61 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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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, “Sentinel Butte City of, PWSID ND1700870, North Dakota”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/north-dakota/sentinel-butte-city-of-nd1700870 (data as of October 1, 2026).