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Community Water System · PWS SD4600351

Ward

Ward, South Dakota 57026 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 41 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

41
People served
214
EPA violations
2
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 214 drinking-water violations at Ward, 1% of them health-based - above the South Dakota per-system average.

214
Total EPA violations on record
1%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
41
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Ward

Ward is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 41 residents in Ward, South Dakota (Moody County) through 28 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 214 total violations for this system , of which 2 (1%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 209 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, recorded in 7 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 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%).

Ward's 214 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
41
Total Violations
214
Health-Based Violations
2
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
28
County
Moody
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
2
Monitoring Violations
209
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 7 2023
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 7 2023
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 7 2023
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 7 2023
Carbon tetrachloride MR 7 2023
Styrene MR 7 2023
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 7 2023
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 7 2023
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 7 2023
Ethylbenzene MR 7 2023
Xylenes, Total MR 7 2023
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 7 2023
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 7 2023
Trichloroethylene MR 7 2023
Toluene MR 7 2023
Tetrachloroethylene MR 7 2023
CHLOROBENZENE MR 7 2023
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 7 2023
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 7 2023
Benzene MR 7 2023
Vinyl chloride MR 7 2023
LASSO MR 2 2023
Atrazine MR 2 2023
Methoxychlor MR 2 2023
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 2 2023
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 2 2023
Endrin MR 2 2023
Chlordane MR 2 2023
Toxaphene MR 2 2023
Carbofuran MR 2 2023

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 Ward.

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 SD4600351 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
2023 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2380
2023 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2981
2023 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2378
2023 1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2985
2023 Carbon tetrachloride MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2982
2023 Styrene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2996
2023 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2979
2023 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2969
2023 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2980
2023 Ethylbenzene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2992
2023 Xylenes, Total MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2955
2023 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2977
2023 1,2-Dichloropropane MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2983
2023 Trichloroethylene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2984
2023 Toluene MR 7 SDWIS / SD4600351 / 2991

How Ward Compares

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

Metric Ward South Dakota avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 214 86 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 2 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 41 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 Ward water safe to drink? ▼
Ward (PWS ID: SD4600351) has 214 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 41 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Ward serve? ▼
Ward serves 41 people in Ward, South Dakota. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 28 service connections.
What type of violations does Ward have? ▼
Ward has 214 total violations: 2 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 209 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Ward water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Ward under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Ward use? ▼
Ward 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.