Community Water System · PWS 055294603
Ponemah
Red Lake, EPA Region 5 — Tribal Water Systems 56671 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 371 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 371
- People served
- 251
- EPA violations
- 9
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 251 drinking-water violations at Ponemah, 4% of them health-based.
- 251
- Total EPA violations on record
- 4%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 371
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Ponemah
Ponemah is a native american-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 371 residents in Red Lake, EPA Region 5 — Tribal Water Systems through 106 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 251 total violations for this system , of which 9 (4%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 231 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Revised Total Coliform Rule, recorded in 21 violations (MON). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.
EPA Region 5 — Tribal Water Systems has thousands of regulated public water systems tracked by EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Native American
- Connections
- 106
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 1
- Monitoring Violations
- 231
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 8
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 21 | 2024 |
| Nitrate | MR | 12 | 2023 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 11 | 2015 |
| Chromium | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Fluoride | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Mercury | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Antimony, Total | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Beryllium, Total | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Thallium, Total | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Asbestos | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Barium | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Cadmium | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Nickel | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Selenium | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Groundwater Rule | TT | 8 | 2025 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 8 | 1996 |
| CYANIDE | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Arsenic | MR | 8 | 2024 |
| Public Notice | Other | 4 | 2025 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Other | 3 | 2016 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U | MR | 3 | 2008 |
| Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | MR | 3 | 2008 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Vinyl chloride | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 3 | 2014 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 3 | 2014 |
Verify This Water System
The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Ponemah.
EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:
View PWS ID 055294603 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
EPA Region 5 — Tribal Water Systems Drinking Water Authority
EPA Region 5 — Tribal Water Systems's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.
Find 05 regulator via EPA SDWISViolation Timeline
Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.
| Year (latest) | Contaminant | Category | Count | EPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Groundwater Rule | TT | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 0700 |
| 2025 | Public Notice | Other | 4 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 7500 |
| 2025 | Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 2 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 7000 |
| 2025 | Groundwater Rule | Other | 1 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 0700 |
| 2024 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 21 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 8000 |
| 2024 | Chromium | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1020 |
| 2024 | Fluoride | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1025 |
| 2024 | Mercury | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1035 |
| 2024 | Antimony, Total | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1074 |
| 2024 | Beryllium, Total | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1075 |
| 2024 | Thallium, Total | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1085 |
| 2024 | Asbestos | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1094 |
| 2024 | Barium | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1010 |
| 2024 | Cadmium | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1015 |
| 2024 | Nickel | MR | 8 | SDWIS / 055294603 / 1036 |
How Ponemah Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Ponemah | EPA Region 5 — Tribal Water Systems avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 251 | - | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 9 | - | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | - | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 371 | - | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across all regulated public water systems in EPA Region 5 — Tribal Water Systems.
Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
| Contaminant | Federal MCL / Action Level | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) | Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique |
| Arsenic | 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) | Health-based MCL since 2006 |
| Total Coliform | Treatment technique (RTCR) | Indicator organism, monitoring trigger |
| PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) | 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) | Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026) |
| Nitrate (as N) | 10 mg/L | Acute health risk for infants |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ponemah water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Ponemah serve? ▼
What type of violations does Ponemah have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Ponemah water? ▼
What water source does Ponemah use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.