Is Blaine, MN tap water safe?
Supplied by Blaine Water System · serves 70,220 people (23,017 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID MN1020006
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Spring Lake Park Water System, Lino Lakes Water System, Lexington Water System, Mounds View Water System, Coon Rapids Water System, Circle Pines Water System. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level0 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Blaine Water System's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (763) 785-6147. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 9 entry points tested Apr 2024 to Jan 2026. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 23.8 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 1 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Detected in 1 of 18 samples. Highest result 11.8 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Below screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 2 ppb (Dec 2020).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2011 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Jun 2009 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2008 – Dec 2008 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Jun 2008 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 3 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 1.55 ppm (Jun 2008), action level 1,300 ppb.
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 35.9 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.8 ppb | 40 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.18 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.28 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Blaine
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 55434, 55449
Nearby utilities
- Coon Rapids Water System Coon Rapids · 5 mi
- Brooklyn Park Water System Brooklyn Park · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- Maple Grove Water System Maple Grove · 13 mi
- City of Minneapolis Water Treatment & Distribution Minneapolis · 15 mi
- Saint Paul Regional Water Services St. Paul · 16 mi
- Plymouth Water System Plymouth · 16 mi
Questions
Is Blaine tap water safe to drink?
Most of Blaine gets its water from Blaine Water System. Blaine Water System has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Blaine water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Blaine Water System found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Blaine water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Blaine Water System is 0 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for MN1020006: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MN1020006).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Blaine Water System at (763) 785-6147, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.