Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS MN5380066
Wilderness Bay Lodge
Ely, Minnesota 55731 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 35 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 35
- People served
- 39
- EPA violations
- 18
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 39 drinking-water violations at Wilderness Bay Lodge, 46% of them health-based - above the Minnesota per-system average.
- 39
- Total EPA violations on record
- 46%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 35
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Wilderness Bay Lodge
Wilderness Bay Lodge is a private-owned transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 35 residents in Ely, Minnesota (Lake County) through 15 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 39 total violations for this system , of which 18 (46%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 21 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 Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 18 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. Statewide, 87 of 196 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (44.4%).
Wilderness Bay Lodge's 39 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.
System Details
- System Type
- Transient Non-Community
- Owner Type
- Private
- Connections
- 15
- County
- Lake
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 0
- Monitoring Violations
- 21
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 18
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 18 | 2023 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 12 | 2012 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 5 | 2025 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 4 | 2004 |
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 Wilderness Bay Lodge.
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 MN5380066 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 | Revised Total Coliform Rule | MON | 5 | SDWIS / MN5380066 / 8000 |
| 2023 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 18 | SDWIS / MN5380066 / 0200 |
| 2012 | Coliform (TCR) | MR | 12 | SDWIS / MN5380066 / 3100 |
| 2004 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 4 | SDWIS / MN5380066 / 0200 |
How Wilderness Bay Lodge Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Wilderness Bay Lodge | Minnesota avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 39 | 9.1 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 18 | 5.6 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 44.4% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 35 | 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 Wilderness Bay Lodge water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Wilderness Bay Lodge serve? ▼
What type of violations does Wilderness Bay Lodge have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Wilderness Bay Lodge water? ▼
What water source does Wilderness Bay Lodge 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.