National Drinking Water Database
North Dakota
327 systems serving 562,310 people
This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in North Dakota, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the North Dakota Department of Health. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.
Chemicals |
Water Utilities |
Population Served |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Detected Chemicals | 29 |
327 |
561,620 |
Exceed health guidelines* | 18 |
293 |
540,939 |
Exceed Legal Limits* | 16 |
102 |
112,995 |
Unregulated chemicals detected | 1 |
1 |
90,599 |
| * Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance. | |||
18 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits
Contaminants detected in North Dakota drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities
| Contaminant | Population |
Number of Systems |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Any Level | Above Health Limits | At Any Level | Above Health Limits | |
| Total haloacetic acids (HAAs) | 450,529 | 450,529 | 146 | 146 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 436,023 | 436,023 | 188 | 188 |
| Lead (total) | 385,050 | 385,050 | 96 | 96 |
| Chloroform | 245,677 | 245,677 | 115 | 115 |
| Dichloroacetic acid | 238,518 | 238,518 | 86 | 86 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 173,524 | 173,524 | 95 | 95 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 173,042 | 173,042 | 68 | 68 |
| Copper | 555,205 | 108,460 | 321 | 152 |
| Bromate | 90,599 | 90,599 | 1 | 1 |
| Bromoform | 80,092 | 80,092 | 48 | 48 |
Water Utilities in North Dakota Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines
Water utilities in North Dakota reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:
| System | Population |
Chemicals tested |
Chemicals found |
Chemicals exceeding health guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Medina | 335 | 90 | 16 | 11 |
| Central Plains Water District | 2,397 | 67 | 14 | 10 |
| City of Burlington | 1,096 | 63 | 13 | 10 |
| City of Lignite | 174 | 67 | 15 | 10 |
| City of Bottineau | 2,336 | 67 | 12 | 10 |
| Upper Souris Wua-System Ii | 216 | 63 | 16 | 9 |
| Upper Souris Wua-System I | 1,242 | 63 | 14 | 9 |
| City of Bismarck | 55,532 | 56 | 13 | 9 |
| Country Acres Mhp | 25 | 67 | 14 | 8 |
| City of Park River | 1,535 | 90 | 10 | 8 |
| Langdon Rural WD - Cando | 50 | 13 | 10 | 8 |
| City of Wyndmere | 533 | 52 | 9 | 8 |
| City of Garrison | 1,318 | 52 | 9 | 8 |
| Southeast Wud (West) | 1,520 | 63 | 11 | 8 |
| City of Bowbells | 406 | 13 | 8 | 8 |
| City of Maxbass | 91 | 63 | 11 | 8 |
| Walsh Rural Water District | 3,206 | 63 | 10 | 7 |
| All Seasons Wd-System Iv | 383 | 63 | 10 | 7 |
| City of Mohall | 812 | 63 | 10 | 7 |
| City of Glenburn | 374 | 13 | 8 | 7 |
Sources of North Dakota Drinking Water Contaminants
The contaminants identified in North Dakota drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.
Testing Summary for North Dakota
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
| Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in North Dakota | 95 | |
| Contaminants tested due to federal law: | 83 | |
| Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: | 12 | |
Violation Summary for North Dakota
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in North Dakota since 2004
| Violation Type | Number of Violations |
|---|---|
| Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) | 129 |
| Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations | 125 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Average | 119 |
| Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule | 88 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria) | 55 |
| Inadequate reporting of information to the public | 27 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 17 |
| Failure to monitor regularly | 14 |
| Treatment Technique Precursor Removal | 13 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria) | 10 |
| Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling | 6 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria) | 6 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 3 |
| Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 3 |
| Filter Turbidity Reporting | 3 |
| Excess Turbidity at 0.3 NTU | 3 |
| Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper | 2 |
| Excess Turbidity at 1 NTU | 1 |
| Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination) | 1 |
| Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report | 1 |