Duluth
Duluth, MN water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
duluth
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID MN1690011
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Duluth is a small but growing city and the 5th-largest in Minnesota, home to roughly 86,110 residents. Duluth's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Minnesota: Mississippi headwaters, lakes, and aquifers.
As elsewhere in Minnesota, the central challenge is groundwater depletion. The 'Land of 10,000 Lakes' still faces localized aquifer drawdown around the Twin Cities metro.
Minnesota reuses an estimated 4% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Duluth tracks moderate to severe drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Minnesota profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Duluth below.
St. Louis County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~86,110 (5th-largest in Minnesota)
- Primary sources: Mississippi headwaters, lakes, and aquifers
- Drought: moderate to severe conditions
- State reuse rate: ~4% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Minnesota in severe+ drought (Severe (D2) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Duluth?
Duluth's largest water system, Duluth, serves about 86,859 people. EPA records show 1 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 8 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Duluth get its water?
Duluth draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Minnesota's supply from Mississippi headwaters, lakes, aquifers.
Related water issues
Groundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
ExploreAging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
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