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Crow Wing County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Crow Wing County, Minnesota.

Water grade

B

Water score

65.3

State rank

#53

of 87

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

306

58,069 recent measurements

Live streamflow

72%

MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT BRAINERD, MN

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Crow Wing County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 65.3 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

72% of mean

MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT BRAINERD, MN

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

306

58,069 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

65.3/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

3.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Crow Wing County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Crow Wing County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 65.3 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T13:30:00.000-05:00) puts MISSISSIPPI RIVER at 2.6k cfs — running somewhat below its historical average at 72% of mean. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Crow Wing County has extensive coverage with 306 active monitoring sites with 58,069 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and nutrient. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Crow Wing County

Water Verdict

Crow Wing County, Minnesota receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 65.3 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 7,320 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was below its historical mean at 72.0% — worth watching in drier seasons.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Crow Wing County, Minnesota show 1 health-based violation, meaning a water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 3.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges. This compliance record sits alongside an unusually deep monitoring archive: 58,069 water-quality results have been logged across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Crow Wing County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Crow Wing County's drinking-water compliance score is 65.3 out of 100. With 1 recorded health violation, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Crow Wing County is 3.3 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. With 306 active water-quality monitoring sites in Crow Wing County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the MISSISSIPPI RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Crow Wing County has water quality close to the average county in Minnesota. Its water score is within 1.9 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Minnesota as a whole.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Crow Wing County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Crow Wing County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Crow Wing County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Crow Wing County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MN)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Minnesota

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

306

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

58K

58,069 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

2,560cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

72%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT BRAINERD, MN

USGS site
05242300
Drainage area
7,320 sq mi
Long-term mean
3,553 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges; this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

Free tool

Estimate Your Water Costs

Water Cost Estimate

3

3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Crow Wing County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Crow Wing County, Minnesota?
Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 65.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 1 health-based drinking water violation over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Crow Wing County?
Crow Wing County has 1 health-based drinking water violation recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Crow Wing County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 58,069 measurements from 306 monitoring sites in Crow Wing County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Crow Wing County right now?
Crow Wing County's primary USGS streamgage on the MISSISSIPPI RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 2,560 cubic feet per second — 72% of the long-term mean of 3,553.27 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Crow Wing County water compare to the Minnesota average?
Crow Wing County's SDWIS water quality score of 65.3/100 is lower than the Minnesota state average of 67.2. The average water quality grade across Minnesota is C, based on data from 87 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Crow Wing County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Crow Wing County has a water quality grade of B (65.3/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS compliance. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Does Crow Wing County have clean drinking water?
Crow Wing County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 65.3/100 and grade B, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How does Crow Wing County rank for water quality in Minnesota?
Crow Wing County ranks #53 out of 87 counties in Minnesota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 65.3/100, it falls in the middle third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Rice County

Minnesota

B

64.8

Water score

Dakota County

Minnesota

B

66.2

Water score

Wright County

Minnesota

B

68.2

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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