Aberdeen water quality report, rewritten
- Serves
- 27,989
- Connections
- 8,968
- Water source
- Surface water
- Based in
- Aberdeen, SD
- County
- Brown
- Owner
- Local government
PWSID SD4600020 · EPA data
Read this first
- Lithium (above EPA’s health benchmark) was found in four of 4 samples, highest 100 ppb. Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
7 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.
What was found
Highlighted: above the health goal, or EPA’s health benchmark where there is no goal. Circled: above the legal limit in at least one sample, or the action level. Every scale puts that line at its middle.
PFAS and lithium: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Jan. 31, 2023 to Oct. 17, 2023. Each blue tick on a scale is one sample where it was found.
Lithium (above EPA’s health benchmark)
Comes from the source
100ppb
Highest of 4 samples; found in four
Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Also found, with no federal limit
EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.
| Compound | Highest sample | Found in | Certification claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFBA | 8.1 ppt | 3 of 4 | None covers it |
Tested and not found
Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Jan. 31, 2023 to Oct. 17, 2023. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.
All 28 compounds tested and not found
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFBS
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFHpS
- PFHxA
- PFHxS
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFOA
- PFOS
- PFPeA
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | One cloudiness reading was above the maximum allowed.EPA: Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | Feb. 1, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2026 | — | Archived |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | May 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025 | — | Resolved |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | Dec. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 | — | Resolved |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | One cloudiness reading was above the maximum allowed.EPA: Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | Dec. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 | — | Resolved |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | Nov. 1, 2024 to Nov. 30, 2024 | — | Resolved |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | July 1, 2023 to July 31, 2023 | — | Resolved |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | April 1, 2022 to April 30, 2022 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. | ||||
What this report cannot tell you
- Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in Aberdeen’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
- Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
- Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from Jan. 31, 2023 to Oct. 17, 2023.
Other South Dakota utilities
- Sioux Falls216,462
- Rapid City72,009
- Brookings Municipal Utilities23,377
- Watertown Municipal Utilities23,230
- Web Water Development Association20,750
- Mitchell15,651
- Yankton15,411
- Huron14,263
- Pierre14,091
- Box Elder14,000
- Spearfish13,803
- Minnehaha Community Water Corp13,435
Sources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Aug. 27, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q2
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
What to do next
Read up on Lithium
What each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.
About LithiumGet the utility’s own report
Aberdeen must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.
How to read itTest your own tap for lead
Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.
Lead in your water: what to doDecide if you want a filter at all
A filter for taste or chlorine is a preference, not a need. The standards say what each kind can do.
NSF/ANSI standards, decoded