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EPA SDWIS

Otter Tail County Water Quality

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Water Grade

F

Water Score

12.0

Violations

71

State Rank

#85

of 87 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

12/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

71

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

267.9%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Otter Tail County

Water Verdict

Otter Tail County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 12.0 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Otter Tail County has recorded 71 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 267.9 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Otter Tail County are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 71 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Otter Tail County has poorer water quality than the average county in Minnesota. Its water score is 55.2 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

0.0%

0 of 4 assessed

Mostly healthy

Top Impairment Causes

No specific impairment causes reported for this county's assessed water bodies.

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Impairment is determined under the Clean Water Act §303(d): a water body is impaired when it fails to meet state-defined quality standards for designated uses (drinking, recreation, aquatic life). Assessment coverage varies by state — counties without assessed water bodies are not shown.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

462

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

62K

62,346 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals

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

529cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

119%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

OTTER TAIL RIVER BL ORWELL D NR FERGUS FALLS, MN

USGS site
05046000
Drainage area
1,740 sq mi
Long-term mean
445 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; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Otter Tail County, Minnesota?
Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 12.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 71 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Otter Tail County?
Otter Tail County has 71 health-based drinking water violations 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 healthy are the watersheds in Otter Tail County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 0.0% of Otter Tail County's 4 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (0 impaired). Impairment means the water body fails to meet state quality standards for at least one designated use — drinking water source, recreation, aquatic life, or fish consumption. Note: watershed impairment doesn't always translate to tap-water issues; treatment plants can remove most regulated contaminants.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Otter Tail County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 62,346 measurements from 462 monitoring sites in Otter Tail County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Pesticide, Inorganics, Minor, Metals. 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 Otter Tail County right now?
Otter Tail County's primary USGS streamgage on the OTTER TAIL RIVER BL ORWELL D is currently reading 529 cubic feet per second — 119% of the long-term mean of 444.72 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Otter Tail County water compare to the Minnesota average?
Otter Tail County's SDWIS water quality score of 12.0/100 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 Otter Tail County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Otter Tail County has a water quality grade of F (12.0/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. 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).
Why does Otter Tail County have so many water violations?
Otter Tail County has 71 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Otter Tail County rank for water quality in Minnesota?
Otter Tail County ranks #85 out of 87 counties in Minnesota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 12.0/100, it falls in the bottom 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

Traverse County

Minnesota

F

16.0

Water score

Grant County

Minnesota

F

16.4

Water score

Roseau County

Minnesota

F

7.4

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.

Watershed health and impaired-waterway data from the EPA ATTAINS Clean Water Act §303(d) assessments — state-reported, EPA-finalized.

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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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