Southwest Water Authority, ND
Lead reported as not detected
Latest 90th-percentile lead: reported as 0 (not detected) (monitoring period 2023-2025). The federal action level is 15 ppb today and drops to 10 ppb in Nov 2027; EPA's health goal is 0. The latest 90th-percentile result was reported as 0 (not detected at the lab's limit). That says the sampled homes were low, not that your home has no lead service line. Check your utility's service line inventory for your address.
Who runs the water here
Southwest Water Authority serves about 8,537 people through 3,415 service connections, which makes it a medium-sized system under EPA's size classes. It is owned by the state and draws surface water, in Stark County, North Dakota. EPA system ID: ND4501434; phone on file: 701-225-0241. They can tell you what your service line is made of and whether they pay to replace it.
Lead results over time
Against the period ending 2022 (0 ppb) the latest result is about the same. The highest 90th-percentile result EPA holds for Southwest Water Authority is 0 ppb across 5 monitoring periods, none of them over 15 ppb.
| Period ending | 90th-percentile lead |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 (not detected) |
| 2022 | 0 (not detected) |
| 2019 | 0 (not detected) |
| 2018 | 0 (not detected) |
| 2016 | 0 (not detected) |
How Southwest Water Authority compares
Of the 300 North Dakota systems with a lead result, the median latest reading is 0.91 ppb; 3 are over 15 ppb right now and 20 have gone over at some point. Southwest Water Authority's reported as 0 (not detected) sits at the 42nd percentile in North Dakota and the 37th nationally (higher means more lead). Systems reporting 0 tie at the bottom, so the rank mostly reflects size among them.
Nearby utilities
6 other systems share Stark County; 1 of them has a higher latest lead result than Southwest Water Authority. If you are unsure which one supplies your house, the name on your water bill decides it.
| System | People | Latest lead |
|---|---|---|
| Dickinson City Of | 25,679 | 5.29 ppb |
| Belfield City Of | 1,013 | 0 (not detected) |
| Richardton City Of | 529 | 0 (not detected) |
| South Heart City Of | 301 | 0 (not detected) |
| Gladstone City Of | 239 | 0 (not detected) |
| Taylor City Of | 148 | 0 (not detected) |
Next steps for Dickinson, ND
Look up your address in Southwest Water Authority's service line inventory. If it says lead, galvanized or unknown, test your tap. If your own line is lead, replacing the private side runs about $1,200-$12,300 (EPA average about $4,700). Ask Southwest Water Authority whether it covers that cost before hiring anyone - many utilities now do.
These figures describe homes the utility sampled, not your tap. Only your service line record or a test of your own water answers the question for your house. The lead result guide covers how utilities pick the homes they sample. A zero today does not rule out a jump later - the rules are tightening in 2027.