Water System Report SD

Rapid Valley Sanitary District

EPA ID: SD4600274 · 11,408 people served · 5 ZIP codes

Rapid Valley Sanitary District's five-year compliance history is clean by every EPA metric — no health-based violations, no monitoring lapses, no enforcement actions on record, reflecting consistent performance for a utility that supplies water to approximately 11,408 residents year after year.

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

11,408
People Served
5
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (5yr)
Surface Water
Water Source
0
Contaminants Flagged
$263K
Median Home Value in Service Area

Compliance Trajectory

Stable · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months

Violations went from 4 (2021) to 4 (2025). Violation counts have remained relatively steady.

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Rapid Valley Sanitary District Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary

Service Area Demographics

$79,716
Median Household Income
110,010
Service Area Population
35%
Disadvantaged Population
50th
Poverty Percentile
40th
Energy Burden Percentile
48%
Pre-1986 Housing

The Rapid Valley Sanitary District serves a community with a median household income of $79,716 and an estimated 110,010 residents across its service area. Approximately 48% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

Environmental Justice Note: 35% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.

🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?

Surface Water

Rapid Valley Sanitary District'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
40th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
60th
Superfund Site Proximity

About 2% of homes in Pennington County, South Dakota rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.

Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 60th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.

Infrastructure Risk

39 yr
Avg Pipe Age
Copper
Pipe Material
30 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 57% 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. 3 detections recorded. 1 exceeds federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS).

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 South Dakota

Vermillion
11,695 people
C 0 violations
Brandon
11,048 people
C 2 violations
Mid-dakota Rural Water
11,833 people
C 10 violations
Spearfish
12,193 people
B 4 violations
Harrisburg
10,297 people
B 0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Flood Insurance Radon Mitigation PFAS Treatment Water Filtration
Flood Insurance $960
Radon Mitigation $400
PFAS Treatment $220
Water Filtration $120
Total Estimated Cost $1,700

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 $1,700 (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

Rapid Valley Sanitary District (EPA ID: SD4600274) is a community water system in South Dakota that serves approximately 11,408 people from surface water sources.

This system provides water to 5 ZIP codes across 2 communities.

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.

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: 3 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 2 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Rapid Valley Sanitary District (SD4600274) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rapid Valley Sanitary District water safe to drink?

Based on EPA records, Rapid Valley Sanitary District has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.

How many people does Rapid Valley Sanitary District serve?

Rapid Valley Sanitary District serves approximately 11,408 people across 5 ZIP codes in South Dakota.

Where does Rapid Valley Sanitary District get its water?

The primary water source is surface water.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.

Samples collected
116
Detections
5
Latest sample
12/2/2024
Highest analyte
PFHxS: 5.8 ppt
Analyte Max detected Current MCL Status
PFHxS 5.8 ppt 10 ppt Below current MCL
PFOS 5.7 ppt 10 ppt Above 2029 federal MCL

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 Inventory

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

0
Confirmed Lead
0
Galvanized — Replacement Required
84
Unknown Material
4,748
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 2024-01-01 did not exceed the federal lead action level.
Population served: 11,408
Reported to South 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 →

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

Should I use a water filter?
Rapid Valley Sanitary District meets EPA standards, but a water filter can reduce trace contaminants below detectable levels for added peace of mind.
How many people does Rapid Valley Sanitary District serve?
Rapid Valley Sanitary District serves approximately 11,408 people with drinking water across 5 ZIP codes.
What is Rapid Valley Sanitary District's water source?
Rapid Valley Sanitary District draws water from surface water sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
What is the demographic profile of Rapid Valley Sanitary District's service area?
The Rapid Valley Sanitary District service area has a median household income of $79,716. EPA EJScreen data classifies 35% of the population as disadvantaged, which may indicate greater vulnerability to environmental health risks.
Where does Rapid Valley Sanitary District get its water?
Rapid Valley Sanitary District'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.
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