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Bearskin Lodge

PWS ID: MN5160108 · Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604-9701

Bearskin Lodge serves 90 people in Grand Marais, Minnesota using Groundwater water sources. It has 90 recorded EPA violations, including 43 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: Bearskin Lodge

Bearskin Lodge is a private-owned transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 90 residents in Grand Marais, Minnesota (Cook County) through 21 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 90 total violations for this system , of which 43 (48%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 47 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2019.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 32 violations (TT, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

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. Bearskin Lodge's 90 violations sit above the Minnesota average. Statewide, 149 of 196 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (76%). 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
90
Total Violations
90
Health-Based Violations
43
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
21
County
Cook
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
47
Treatment Tech Violations
43

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 32 2019
Coliform (TCR) MR 31 2015
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 11 2016
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 9 2018
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 2001
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 2009

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 Bearskin Lodge.

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 MN5160108 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
2019 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 32 SDWIS / MN5160108 / 0200
2018 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 9 SDWIS / MN5160108 / 8000
2016 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 11 SDWIS / MN5160108 / 0300
2015 Coliform (TCR) MR 31 SDWIS / MN5160108 / 3100
2009 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 SDWIS / MN5160108 / 0300
2001 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 4 SDWIS / MN5160108 / 0200

How Bearskin Lodge Compares

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

Metric Bearskin Lodge Minnesota avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 90 9.1 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 43 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 90 799 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
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bearskin Lodge water safe to drink?
Bearskin Lodge (PWS ID: MN5160108) has 90 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 90 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Bearskin Lodge serve?
Bearskin Lodge serves 90 people in Grand Marais, Minnesota. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 21 service connections.
What type of violations does Bearskin Lodge have?
Bearskin Lodge has 90 total violations: 43 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 47 monitoring/reporting violations, and 43 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Bearskin Lodge water?
No PFAS testing data is available for Bearskin Lodge under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Bearskin Lodge use?
Bearskin Lodge uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Transient Non-Community Water System, serving transient populations.
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.

Explore PlainWater

Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Related

Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial