Birchwood Wilderness Camp
PWS ID: MN5160304 · Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604
Birchwood Wilderness Camp serves 65 people in Grand Marais, Minnesota using Surface Water water sources. It has 48 recorded EPA violations, including 10 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.
Water Quality Snapshot: Birchwood Wilderness Camp
Birchwood Wilderness Camp is a private-owned transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 65 residents in Grand Marais, Minnesota (Cook County) through 8 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 48 total violations for this system , of which 10 (21%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 38 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 Coliform (TCR), recorded in 24 violations (MR). 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. Birchwood Wilderness Camp's 48 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.
System Details
- System Type
- Transient Non-Community
- Owner Type
- Private
- Connections
- 8
- County
- Cook
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 0
- Monitoring Violations
- 38
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 10
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 24 | 2015 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 6 | 2021 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 6 | 2024 |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 4 | 2021 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 4 | 2003 |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 4 | 2025 |
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 Birchwood Wilderness Camp.
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 MN5160304 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
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 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 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 4 | SDWIS / MN5160304 / 0300 |
| 2024 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 6 | SDWIS / MN5160304 / 8000 |
| 2021 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 6 | SDWIS / MN5160304 / 0200 |
| 2021 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 4 | SDWIS / MN5160304 / 0300 |
| 2015 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 24 | SDWIS / MN5160304 / 3100 |
| 2003 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 4 | SDWIS / MN5160304 / 0200 |
How Birchwood Wilderness Camp Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Birchwood Wilderness Camp | Minnesota avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 48 | 9.1 | SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 10 | 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 | 65 | 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
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Related Data for Minnesota
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.