Is Nowthen, MN tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 6 utilities serving Nowthen has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Minnesota’s records.
Ramsey, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.3 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Nowthen’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Ramsey
Minnesota · serves 17,705 people · about 5,100 in Nowthen
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.3 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Anoka
Minnesota · serves 17,798 people · about 4,900 in Nowthen
2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 18.4 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Elk River
Minnesota · serves 19,532 people · about 3,000 in Nowthen
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Otsego
Minnesota · serves 19,000 people · about 1,100 in Nowthen
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Uranium at 3.3 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Windsor Oaks Development
Minnesota · serves 80 people · under 100 in Nowthen
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.7 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Ridges of Rice Lake Housing Development
Minnesota · serves 180 people · under 100 in Nowthen
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.9 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Ramsey’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Water testing near Nowthen
The 3 labs Minnesota certifies closest to Nowthen, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Water Laboratories, Inc.
Elk River, MN · about 4 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals
Instrumental Research, Inc.
Fridley, MN · about 19 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
EMSL Analytical, Inc.
New Hope, MN · about 22 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals
Which ZIP codes are in Nowthen: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Minnesota Department of Health, accredited labs in Minnesota accepting drinking water samples from private well users; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Nowthen
Other towns in Anoka County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Ramsey’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for ArsenicRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water