Water System Report SD

Watertown Municipal Utilities

EPA ID: SD4600356 ยท 23,230 people served ยท 1 ZIP code

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA SDWIS for Watertown Municipal Utilities (SD4600356): no EPA violations recorded in the last five years. Watertown Municipal Utilities'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 23,230 residents year after year.

Data: EPA SDWIS

C ยท 65
Avg Safety Score
23,230
People Served
1
ZIP Code Served
0
Violations (5yr)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.002 mg/L
Max Lead Level
Zone 1
Radon Risk ยท High
0
Contaminants Flagged
$224K
Median Home Value in Service Area

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Watertown Municipal Utilities Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary - Grade C

Service Area Demographics

$64,809
Median Household Income
26,375
Service Area Population
29%
Disadvantaged Population
50th
Poverty Percentile
30th
Energy Burden Percentile
54%
Pre-1986 Housing

The Watertown Municipal Utilities serves a community with a median household income of $64,809 and an estimated 26,375 residents across its service area. Approximately 54% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

๐Ÿ’ง Where Does Your Water Come From?

Groundwater

Watertown Municipal Utilities's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.

Low Risk
Source Contamination Risk
40th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
0th
Superfund Site Proximity

Infrastructure Risk

38 yr
Avg Pipe Age
Copper
Pipe Material
32 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 54% of expected lifespan used End of life

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in South Dakota

0 violations
C 0 violations
Aberdeen
27,989 people
C 7 violations
Mitchell
15,651 people
1 violation
Yankton
15,411 people
0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Radon Mitigation Flood Insurance
Radon Mitigation $1,200
Flood Insurance $1,200
Total Estimated Cost $2,400

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.

System Overview

Watertown Municipal Utilities (EPA ID: SD4600356) is a community water system in South Dakota that serves approximately 23,230 people from groundwater sources.

This system serves ZIP code 57201 in Watertown.

ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: C (65/100)

This is the average Home Safety Score for 1 of 1 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.

Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.

Violation History

No accepted violation records in the 2021-2026 window - The accepted EPA ECHO 2026Q2 snapshot contains zero violation records for this system whose record year falls from 2021 through 2026, inclusive. This is not a tap-water safety guarantee.

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.002 mg/L No N/A

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

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 $20โ€“$50 (DIY kit) ยท Professional inspection: $150โ€“$400

Find the Right Water Filter

Free tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking โ€” 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 SD 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 Watertown Municipal Utilities (SD4600356) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Watertown Municipal Utilities water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Watertown Municipal Utilities in the inclusive 2021-2026 record-year window. This is a compliance-record finding, not a guarantee about water at a specific tap.

How many people does Watertown Municipal Utilities serve?

Watertown Municipal Utilities serves approximately 23,230 people across 1 ZIP code in South Dakota.

Where does Watertown Municipal Utilities get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

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
58

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) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

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 Watertown Municipal Utilities safe to drink?
Watertown Municipal Utilities has a C safety grade based on 0 recorded violations. Some contaminants may exceed EPA limits - independent testing is recommended.
Should I use a water filter?
Watertown Municipal Utilities meets EPA standards, but a water filter can reduce trace contaminants below detectable levels for added peace of mind.
How many people does Watertown Municipal Utilities serve?
Watertown Municipal Utilities serves approximately 23,230 people with drinking water across 1 ZIP code.
What is Watertown Municipal Utilities's water source?
Watertown Municipal Utilities draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Watertown Municipal Utilities's water?
The maximum detected lead level is 0.002 mg/L. This is within EPA action level guidelines.
What is the demographic profile of Watertown Municipal Utilities's service area?
The Watertown Municipal Utilities service area has a median household income of $64,809. Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does Watertown Municipal Utilities get its water?
Watertown Municipal Utilities's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Watertown Municipal Utilities, SD: Serves 23K People. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/sd4600356/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-sd4600356,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Watertown Municipal Utilities, SD: Serves 23K People}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/sd4600356/}
}

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 โ†’

2

Check your specific ZIP code

Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report โ†’

3

Contact your utility

Watertown Municipal Utilities (EPA ID: SD4600356) - request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.

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