Is Faribault, MN Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Faribault'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
Copper	876.35 µg/L 67% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 1353 µg/L — MN Correctional Facility - Faribault · 2,103 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Fluoride	1200 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	320 µg/L 3.2% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: Millstone Creek Mobile Home Park · 90 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Barium	276 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2018	2/3	SYR4
Lead	20.73 µg/L 138% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Chloroform	1.815 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 18.6 µg/L — MN Correctional Facility - Faribault · 2,103 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Lithium	17.4 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2023	1/3	UCMR-5
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	11.8 pCi/L 79% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 13.7 pCi/L — MN Correctional Facility - Faribault · 2,103 people · 2015	3/3	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	0.6000 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 6.96 µg/L — MN Correctional Facility - Faribault · 2,103 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	6.2 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: MN Correctional Facility - Faribault · 2,103 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	1.1 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 5.545 µg/L — MN Correctional Facility - Faribault · 2,103 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	2.5 µg/L 3.6% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	2.43 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: MN Correctional Facility - Faribault · 2,103 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Trichloroethylene	0.6885 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Chromium	0.3155 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene	0.2985 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Lead	0.0050 mg/L 33% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: Faribault · 23,718 people · 2023	3/3	LCR

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 Faribault

Supplier	Population served
Faribault	23,718
MN Correctional Facility - Faribault	2,103
Millstone Creek Mobile Home Park	90

Frequently asked questions about Faribault tap water

Is Faribault tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 17 contaminants in the water serving Faribault. 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 Faribault?

3 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Faribault, Minnesota to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Faribault's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Faribault include Copper, Fluoride, Nitrate-Nitrite, Barium, Lead. 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.