Rice County Water Quality: 2 Cities Ranked by the Records
Rice County, Minnesota: 2 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
Highest result for each contaminant
One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.
LithiumDetected in 2 systems10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest17.4 µg/L
- Faribault17.4 µg/LSample date: 2023-05-09 to 2023-10-16
- Northfield9.2 µg/LSample date: 2023-08-07 to 2024-05-15
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest19 µg/L
- Faribault19 µg/LMonitoring period: 2024–2026 (still open)
- Northfield3 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2025
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest8.5 ng/L
- Northfield8.5 ng/LSample date: 2023-08-07 to 2025-10-22
- FaribaultNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-05-09 to 2023-10-16
28 PFAS tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 2 systems: Faribault, Northfield
- 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
- 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.
1of 2 cities above the 15 µg/L action level
Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.
Lead in MinnesotaLargest water systems
- FaribaultFaribault · MN166000223,718 served
- NorthfieldNorthfield · MN166001020,790 served
Frequently asked
How does Rice County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 2 cities in Rice County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Northfield's main water system: Northfield · PWSID MN1660010 · Purity Score 97 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.
How many Rice County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
None of the 2 Rice County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing. PFAS were detected below the limit in 1.
Is there lead in Rice County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 2 Rice County cities reported a value above zero, and 1 city was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
Follow Rice County's water
Get an email when a city record in the county changes. Or go straight to the filters certified for what was found here.
Record changes only
We email when places in Rice County get new results. Unsubscribe any time.
Follow Rice County's water →