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Community Water System · PWS MN1690014

Ely

Ely, Minnesota 55731 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 3,258 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

3,258
People served
21
EPA violations
12
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 21 drinking-water violations at Ely, 57% of them health-based - above the Minnesota per-system average.

21
Total EPA violations on record
57%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
3,258
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Ely

Ely is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 3,258 residents in Ely, Minnesota (St. Louis County) through 1,875 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 21 total violations for this system , of which 12 (57%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 5 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), recorded in 12 violations (MCL, health-based). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

Across Minnesota, EPA tracks 6,557 public water systems serving 5,239,398 people, with 59,895 cumulative violations and 36,496 health-based violations on record. About 52% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 9.1 violations. Statewide, 149 of 196 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (76%).

Ely's 21 violations sit above the Minnesota average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
3,258
Total Violations
21
Health-Based Violations
12
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
1,875
County
St. Louis
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
12
Monitoring Violations
5
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 12 2023
Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 2024
Public Notice Other 2 2023

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 116 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFMPA 9/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 9/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 9/19/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 9/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 9/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 9/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 9/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 9/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 9/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 9/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 9/19/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 9/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 9/19/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 9/19/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 9/19/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 9/19/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 9/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 9/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 6/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 6/8/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 6/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 6/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 6/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 6/8/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/8/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 6/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 6/8/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 6/8/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 6/8/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected

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 Ely.

Federal Source of Truth

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 MN1690014 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Minnesota Drinking Water Authority

Minnesota'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 MN regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation 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
2024 Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 SDWIS / MN1690014 / 5000
2023 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 12 SDWIS / MN1690014 / 2456
2023 Public Notice Other 2 SDWIS / MN1690014 / 7500

How Ely Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Ely Minnesota avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 21 9.1 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 12 5.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 76% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 3,258 799 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 6,557 regulated public water systems in Minnesota.

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 Ely water safe to drink? ▼
Ely (PWS ID: MN1690014) has 21 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 3,258 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Ely serve? ▼
Ely serves 3,258 people in Ely, Minnesota. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 1,875 service connections.
What type of violations does Ely have? ▼
Ely has 21 total violations: 12 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 5 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Ely water? ▼
No. Ely was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Ely use? ▼
Ely uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

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.