Brookings
Brookings, SD water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
brookings municipal utilities
groundwater (wells) · local government · PWSID SD4600071
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
With about 23,657 residents, Brookings ranks as the 4th-largest city in South Dakota and a small but growing city. Water in Brookings is sourced chiefly from Missouri River and aquifers, the backbone of South Dakota's supply.
The defining water pressure here mirrors the state's: agricultural demand. Irrigation-driven demand with the Missouri River reservoirs as the backbone.
Statewide, South Dakota recycles about 3% of its wastewater with minimal reuse programs. Locally, Brookings faces severe to extreme drought conditions.
The South Dakota state profile covers the regional supply outlook; the issues below detail what's driving Brookings's water future.
Brookings County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~23,657 (4th-largest in South Dakota)
- Primary sources: Missouri River and aquifers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of South Dakota in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Brookings?
Brookings's largest water system, BROOKINGS MUNICIPAL UTILITIES, serves about 23,377 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 Brookings get its water?
BROOKINGS MUNICIPAL UTILITIES draws primarily from groundwater (wells), part of South Dakota's supply from Missouri River, aquifers.
Related water issues
Agricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreDrought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
Explore