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Community Water System · PWS SD4600138

Garretson

Garretson, South Dakota 57030 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 1,228 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

1,228
People served
241
EPA violations
214
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 241 drinking-water violations at Garretson, 89% of them health-based - above the South Dakota per-system average.

241
Total EPA violations on record
89%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
1,228
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Garretson

Garretson is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,228 residents in Garretson, South Dakota (Minnehaha County) through 511 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 241 total violations for this system , of which 214 (89%) 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 2014.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Combined Radium (-226 and -228), recorded in 208 violations (MCL, 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 South Dakota, EPA tracks 654 public water systems serving 915,901 people, with 56,254 cumulative violations and 8,399 health-based violations on record. About 92% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 86 violations. Statewide, 42 of 49 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (85.7%).

Garretson's 241 violations sit above the South Dakota 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
1,228
Total Violations
241
Health-Based Violations
214
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
511
County
Minnehaha
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
212
Monitoring Violations
21
Treatment Tech Violations
2

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MCL 208 2001
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 9 1993
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 9 1993
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MCL 4 2001
Lead and Copper Rule MR 3 1998
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2006
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 2 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 Garretson.

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 SD4600138 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

South Dakota Drinking Water Authority

South Dakota'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 SD 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
2014 Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 2 SDWIS / SD4600138 / 0400
2006 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / SD4600138 / 7000
2001 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MCL 208 SDWIS / SD4600138 / 4010
2001 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MCL 4 SDWIS / SD4600138 / 4000
1998 Lead and Copper Rule MR 3 SDWIS / SD4600138 / 5000
1993 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 9 SDWIS / SD4600138 / 4000
1993 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 9 SDWIS / SD4600138 / 4010

How Garretson Compares

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

Metric Garretson South Dakota avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 241 86 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 214 12.8 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 85.7% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 1,228 1,400 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 654 regulated public water systems in South Dakota.

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 Garretson water safe to drink? ▼
Garretson (PWS ID: SD4600138) has 241 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,228 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Garretson serve? ▼
Garretson serves 1,228 people in Garretson, South Dakota. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 511 service connections.
What type of violations does Garretson have? ▼
Garretson has 241 total violations: 214 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 21 monitoring/reporting violations, and 2 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Garretson water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Garretson under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Garretson use? ▼
Garretson uses Groundwater 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. 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.