Is Garden City, SD Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Garden City'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
Nitrite	107 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: PRAIRIE ACRES LLC · 350 people · 2018 Highest in the city: 3770 µg/L — GARDEN CITY · 33 people · 2019	2/4	SYR4
Nitrate	668 µg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: PRAIRIE ACRES LLC · 350 people · 2018	2/4	SYR4
Copper	87.55 µg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: PRAIRIE ACRES LLC · 350 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 514 µg/L — GARDEN CITY · 33 people · 2018	4/4	SYR4
Fluoride	400 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Highest in the city: PRAIRIE ACRES SOUTH · 170 people · 2012	2/4	SYR4
Barium	31 µg/L 1.6% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Highest in the city: PRAIRIE ACRES SOUTH · 170 people · 2012	2/4	SYR4
Selenium	12 µg/L 24% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Highest in the city: PRAIRIE ACRES NORTH · 288 people · 2013	2/4	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	8.83 pCi/L 59% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: PRAIRIE ACRES NORTH · 288 people · 2019	2/4	SYR4
Lead	2.1 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: PRAIRIE ACRES LLC · 350 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 7.815 µg/L — GARDEN CITY · 33 people · 2018	4/4	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	6.636 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Highest in the city: GARDEN CITY · 33 people · 2017	1/4	SYR4
TTHM	0.7100 µg/L 0.9% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Highest in the city: GARDEN CITY · 33 people · 2017	1/4	SYR4
Lead	0.0080 mg/L 53% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: PRAIRIE ACRES LLC · 350 people · 2023	4/4	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 Garden City

Supplier	Population served
PRAIRIE ACRES LLC	350
PRAIRIE ACRES NORTH	288
PRAIRIE ACRES SOUTH	170
GARDEN CITY	33

Frequently asked questions about Garden City tap water

Is Garden City tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 11 contaminants in the water serving Garden City. 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 Garden City?

4 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Garden City, South Dakota to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Garden City's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Garden City include Nitrite, Nitrate, Copper, Fluoride, Barium. 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.