Water System Report ND

City of West Fargo

EPA ID: ND0900999 · 34,858 people served · 4 ZIP codes

Five clean years on EPA record — City of West Fargo, 34,858 residents served.

Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02

D · 47
Avg Safety Score
34,858
People Served
4
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (5yr)
Surface Water
Water Source
Zone 1
Radon Risk · High
0
Contaminants Flagged
$271K
Median Home Value in Service Area

Service Area Map

Coverage area for City of West Fargo Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary — Grade D

Service Area Demographics

$71,357
Median Household Income
168,538
Service Area Population
12%
Disadvantaged Population
30th
Poverty Percentile
20th
Energy Burden Percentile
41%
Pre-1986 Housing

The City of West Fargo serves a community with a median household income of $71,357 and an estimated 168,538 residents across its service area. Approximately 41% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?

Surface Water

City of West Fargo's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
70th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
0th
Superfund Site Proximity

About 1% of homes in Cass County, North Dakota rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.

Wastewater Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 70th percentile nationally for proximity to wastewater discharge points. Surface water sources near wastewater outfalls may face additional treatment challenges.

Infrastructure Risk

33 yr
Avg Pipe Age
PEX or Copper
Pipe Material
35 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 49% of expected lifespan used End of life

PFAS Detected in Service Area

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 4 detections recorded.

Health concern: PFAS are linked to cancer, thyroid disease, immune suppression, and developmental effects. They do not break down naturally.
Recommended filter: Reverse osmosis (RO) or activated carbon filters certified for PFAS removal. Find the right filter →

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in North Dakota

City of Williston
26,426 people
C 2 violations
City of Dickinson
25,679 people
C 0 violations
City of Mandan
21,769 people
C 1 violation
City of Minot
48,743 people
D 2 violations
City of Jamestown
15,427 people
C 0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Radon Mitigation Flood Insurance PFAS Treatment
Radon Mitigation $1,200
Flood Insurance $1,200
PFAS Treatment $500
Total Estimated Cost $2,900

Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.

Cost of Inaction

If water quality issues in this service area are not addressed, the estimated financial impact per household is:

PFAS Exposure — Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $2,900 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Estimates based on published EPA, CDC, and peer-reviewed research. Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These are conservative lower-bound estimates intended for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

City of West Fargo (EPA ID: ND0900999) is a community water system in North Dakota that serves approximately 34,858 people from surface water sources.

This system provides water to 4 ZIP codes across 2 communities.

Average Home Safety Score: D (47/100)

Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.

Violation History

No violations recorded — This water system has no recorded EPA violations in the past 5 years.

Lead & Copper

No Lead and Copper Rule sampling data available for this water system.

Radon Risk in Service Area

Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 1 (High Risk)

The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.

Need help with your water quality?

Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400

Find the Right Water Filter

Free tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by ND or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of West Fargo (ND0900999) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is City of West Fargo water safe to drink?

Based on EPA records, City of West Fargo has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.

How many people does City of West Fargo serve?

City of West Fargo serves approximately 34,858 people across 4 ZIP codes in North Dakota.

Where does City of West Fargo get its water?

The primary water source is surface water.

Contact Your Water Utility

Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.

Phone
701.241.1469
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Website
FargoND.gov ↗

Contact information from The City of Fargo Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.

Water Source & Treatment

Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.

Source
Surface water
Drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs.
Disinfectant used
Chloramines
Treatment chemicals reported
fluoridechloramineorthophosphate

Source: The City of Fargo Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.

Source water assessment from The City of Fargo Consumer Confidence Report:
The City of Fargo public water system, in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, has completed the delineation and contaminant/land use inventory elements of the North Dakota Source Water Protection Program. Based on the information from these elements, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality has determined our source water is moderately susceptible to potential contaminants.

Treatment regime

How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.

Treatment classification
Advanced
Advanced treatment that may include ozonation, ultraviolet disinfection, activated-carbon filtration, or membrane filtration. Used when source water has elevated contamination risk or to remove disinfection byproducts.

Treatment chemicals and what each one does

Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.

Disinfectant
Inactivates bacteria, viruses, and parasites in the treated water.
chloramine
Corrosion inhibitor
Coats pipe interiors to reduce lead and copper leaching from premise plumbing.
orthophosphate
Fluoridation
Added at low levels per state or local public-health policy for dental health.
fluoride

Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from The City of Fargo Consumer Confidence Report.

Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.

Samples collected
116

Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →

Understand PFAS health context and filtration →

Lead service line replacement plan from The City of Fargo Consumer Confidence Report:
The City of Fargo is developing a Lead Service Line Replacement Program, set to begin in the summer of 2025. This program is designed to be affordable by using state and federal funding, along with a City utility cost-share program. This means no added costs will be charged, provided property owners complete required water sampling three to six months after replacement. Failure to fulfill the sampling requirement after replacement will void the agreement to replace your lead service line and a $1,000 invoice will be billed to the property owner.

Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker

This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.

Get notified on replacement progress

Subscribers receive an email when this utility updates its LSL plan, files a milestone report, or adjusts replacement timelines. No marketing, no third-party sharing.

By submitting you agree to Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime via the link in any email.

The City of Fargo

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.

Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →

Lead Service Line Inventory

Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:

0
Confirmed Lead
0
Galvanized — Replacement Required
808
Unknown Material
11,441
Confirmed Non-Lead

This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.

Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.

Federal Regulatory Status · 2026Q1
LCRR inventory submission: Reported all required service line types
Latest tap sample on 2023-01-01 did not exceed the federal lead action level.
Population served: 34,858
Reported to North Dakota

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.

Learn about lead in drinking water →

Aesthetic water quality

These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.

pH
9.28
How acidic or basic the water is on a 0-14 scale. Drinking water is typically near neutral.
EPA secondary range: 6.5 – 8.5
Fluoride
Not reported
Utility adds fluoride
Measured fluoride concentration in parts per million.
Total dissolved solids
400 ppm
Mineral content remaining after evaporation, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, and other dissolved substances.
EPA secondary MCL: 500 ppm

Aesthetic measurements from The City of Fargo Consumer Confidence Report.

Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.

Notable events and violations

This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.

Notable events from the utility's CCR

These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.

Notable events from The City of Fargo Consumer Confidence Report:
  • In 2024, The City of Fargo's Regional Water Treatment Plant earned second place in the national 'People's Choice' competition at the ACE24 conference.
  • In 2024, the plant was also named 'Membrane Facility of the Year' at the Membrane Technology Conference.

ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.

How Water Systems Appear in Rankings

Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water from City of West Fargo safe to drink?
City of West Fargo has a D safety grade based on 0 recorded violations. Some contaminants may exceed EPA limits — independent testing is recommended.
Should I use a water filter?
City of West Fargo meets EPA standards, but a water filter can reduce trace contaminants below detectable levels for added peace of mind.
How many people does City of West Fargo serve?
City of West Fargo serves approximately 34,858 people with drinking water across 4 ZIP codes.
What is City of West Fargo's water source?
City of West Fargo draws water from surface water sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
What is the demographic profile of City of West Fargo's service area?
The City of West Fargo service area has a median household income of $71,357. Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does City of West Fargo get its water?
City of West Fargo's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap. Based on available data, the source contamination risk is moderate.

What You Can Do

1

Test your water

Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →

2

Check your specific ZIP code

Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →

3

Contact your utility

City of West Fargo (EPA ID: ND0900999) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.

Home Water Systems North Dakota City of West Fargo

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