Is South St. Paul, MN Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in South St. Paul's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Nitrate-Nitrite	3205 µg/L 32% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Fluoride	1300 µg/L 33% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Copper	241 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Barium	122.4 µg/L 6.1% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2018	1/1	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	23.7 pCi/L 158% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 pCi/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Lead	4.46 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Combined Uranium	1.3559 µg/L 4.5% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2019	1/1	SYR4
Chromium	1.0685 µg/L 1.1% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2018	1/1	SYR4
Pfba	0.1680 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
Pfpea	0.0110 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0080 mg/L 53% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2025	1/1	LCR
PFOA	0.0076 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
PFHXS	0.0056 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
PFBS	0.0047 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5
Pfhxa	0.0047 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: South Saint Paul · 20,664 people · 2024	1/1	UCMR-5

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving South St. Paul

Supplier	Population served
South Saint Paul	20,664

Frequently asked questions about South St. Paul tap water

Is South St. Paul tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 15 contaminants in the water serving South St. Paul. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve South St. Paul?

1 public water supplier report drinking-water monitoring for South St. Paul, Minnesota to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in South St. Paul's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in South St. Paul include Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, Copper, Barium, Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.