Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Duluth?
Yes, Duluth's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Duluth has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page, the city's water provider website, or Duluth's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Duluth's water utility, Duluth, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Duluth was resolved on Oct. 31, 2017. This assessment is based on the Duluth water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Duluth Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Duluth tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Duluth's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Duluth Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Duluth for Duluth in Minnesota. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From Oct. 1, 2017 to Oct. 31, 2017, Duluth had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From Oct. 1, 2017 to Oct. 31, 2017, Duluth had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.
Is there Lead in Duluth Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Duluth water system, Duluth, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.012 mg/L of lead in Duluth water. This is 80.0% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Duluth contained more lead.
While Duluth water testing may have found 0.012 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Duluth Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Duluth International Airport - near Duluth with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Duluth has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Duluth SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/01/2017 - 10/31/2017 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) (38) | Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (122) | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (0300) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 10/01/2017 - 10/31/2017 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (44) | Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (122) | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (0300) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
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| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Duluth Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | Duluth City Hall 411 West First Street, Room 330 Duluth, MN, 55802 |
Existing customers can login to their Duluth account to pay their Duluth water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Duluth bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Duluth water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Duluth water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Duluth means you will often need to put the water in your name with Duluth. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Duluth means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Duluth. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1.59 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Duluth, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Duluth Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Duluth's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
DRINKING WATER SOURCES
Minnesota’s primary drinking water sources are groundwater and surface water. Groundwater is found in aquifers beneath the land’s surface and supplies 75 percent of Minnesota’s drinking water. Surface water comes from lakes, rivers, and streams. Surface water supplies 25 percent of Minnesota’s drinking water. This includes the City of Duluth, which draws its supply from Lake Superior.
Contaminants can enter drinking water sources from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The five main types of contaminants include:
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses, bacteria and parasites. Sources include sewage treatment plants, septic systems, livestock and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants include salts and metals from natural sources, oil and gas production, mining and farming operations, stormwater runoff, and wastewater discharges.
Pesticides and herbicides are chemicals used to reduce unwanted plants and pests. Sources include agriculture, stormwater runoff, and commercial and residential properties.
Organic chemical contaminants include synthetic and volatile organic compounds. Sources include industrial processes and petroleum production, gas stations, stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants such as radium, thorium, and uranium isotopes come from natural sources, mining operations, and oil and gas production.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) provides information about your drinking water source(s) in a source water assessment.
Find your source water assessment at www.health. state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/swp/swa or call
MAKING SAFE DRINKING WATER
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards limiting the amount of specific contaminants allowed in drinking water. This ensures that tap water is safe to drink for most people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration similarly regulates contaminants in bottled water, which is required to provide the same public health protection as public tap water.
Both tap and bottled water may contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
SPECIAL HEALTH INFORMATION
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Infants and people who are immunocompromised, elderly, or pregnant can be particularly at risk from infections. These people or their caregivers should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. Guidelines from EPA and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to limit the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
at
www.epa.gov/safewater
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
You may be in contact with lead through paint, water, dust, soil, food, hobbies, or your job. There is no safe level of lead. Exposure can cause serious health problems, including developmental delays in children and kidney and blood pressure problems in adults. Babies, children under six years, and pregnant women are at the highest risk.
Lead is rarely in a drinking water source, but it can enter your drinking water as it passes through lead service lines and household plumbing. Duluth provides high quality drinking water, but cannot control the plumbing materials used in private buildings.
To find out if you have a lead service line, please call City of Duluth Engineering at (218)
You can take steps to minimize your exposure to lead through drinking water:
Let the water run for
Use cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula.
Test your water. Contact a Minnesota Department of Health accredited laboratory for information on collecting and submitting a sample.
Treat your water if testing shows high levels of lead after you let the water run.
For more information, visit www.comfortsystemsduluth.com/media/504346/Lead- education_edited.pdf
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/
environment/water/contaminants/lead.html
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead
.
2020
DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
The City of Duluth strives to provide safe and reliable drinking water that meets state and federal quality requirements. This report provides information on your drinking water and how to protect our precious water resources. For questions about water quality or information about how you can take part in decisions that may affect it, please contact Duluth Public Works and Utilities Chemist, Lindsey
lmonson@duluthmn.gov.
PWSID: 169001
RESULTS OF MONITORING
The City of Duluth works with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to test drinking water for more than 100 contaminants regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These standards protect Minnesotans from substances that may be harmful to their health. In addition to testing drinking water for regulated contaminants, we may monitor for additional contaminants. These unregulated contaminants do not have legal limits for drinking water.
No water supply is ever completely free of contaminants and it is not unusual to detect them in small amounts. Detection alone of a regulated or unregulated contaminant should not cause concern. The meaning of a detection should be determined considering current health effects information, which can evolve over time.
The following table shows the regulated contaminants we detected in 2020, as well as human
For more information on monitoring and testing, please visit the MDH website:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/
environment/water/factsheet/sampling.html
DULUTH DRINKING WATER TABLE FOR 2020
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Regulated |
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Highest |
Range of |
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MCL or |
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MCLG or |
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Violation? |
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Typical Sources |
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Average or |
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Results |
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MRDL |
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MRDLG |
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Single Result |
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Total |
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13.6 |
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80 |
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N/A |
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No |
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Byproduct of drinking water |
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Trihalomethanes |
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disinfection |
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(TTHM), ppb |
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Total Haloacetic |
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10.9 |
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60 |
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N/A |
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No |
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Acids (HAA), ppb |
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disinfection |
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Total Chlorine, ppm |
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1.02 |
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4.0 |
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4.0 |
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No |
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Additive used to control |
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microbes |
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Total Organic |
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80% removal |
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variable |
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N/A |
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No |
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Natural sources |
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Carbon |
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removal |
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Nitrate, ppm |
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0.39 |
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N/A |
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10.4 |
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10.0 |
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No |
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Fertilizers, septic tanks, |
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runoff, natural sources |
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Fluoride, ppm |
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0.72 |
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4.0 |
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4.0 |
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No |
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Additive to promote dental |
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health, natural sources |
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Regulated |
Homes exceeding |
90th |
90th Percentile |
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MCLG |
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Violation? |
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Typical Sources |
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Substance |
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AL |
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AL |
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Copper, ppm |
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0 of 30 |
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0.10 |
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1.3 |
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0 |
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No |
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Corrosion of household |
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(2019) |
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plumbing |
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Lead, ppb |
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1 of 30 |
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12 |
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15 |
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0 |
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No |
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Corrosion of household |
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(2019) |
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plumbing |
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Regulated |
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Highest |
Lowest Monthly |
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Removal Required |
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Violation? |
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Typical Sources |
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Result |
Compliance Rate |
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Turbidity, NTU |
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0.72 |
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99% |
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TT |
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No |
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Runoff |
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HOW TO READ THE WATER QUALITY DATA TABLES
This table shows the concentration of substances we detected in 2020 (or the most recent result), along with EPA limits. Substances that we tested for but did not find are not included in the table.
MDH may have done additional monitoring for unregulated contaminants. To request a copy of these results, call MDH at
OTHER DEFINITIONS
AL (Action Level)
The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers corrective action by the water system
MCL (Maximum contaminant level)
The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water
MCLG (Maximum contaminant level goal)
The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health
MRDL (Maximum residual disinfectant level)
The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water
MRDLG (Maximum residual disinfectant level goal) The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health
NA (Not applicable)
Does not apply
NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units)
A measure of the cloudiness, or turbidity, of the water. Indicates effectiveness of filtration
ppb
parts per billion; also expressed as micrograms per liter (μg/l)
ppm
parts per million; also expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/l).
TT (Treatment Technique)
A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water
Contaminants
Duluth
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Minnesota Department of Health - Environmental Health Division, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 86211
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 14
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Chlorate
- Chromium (total)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.