Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Sioux Falls?
Yes, Sioux Falls's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Sioux Falls has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Sioux Falls's water utility, Sioux Falls, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the Sioux Falls water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Sioux Falls Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Sioux Falls for Sioux Falls in South Dakota. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
Is there Lead in Sioux Falls Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Sioux Falls water system, Sioux Falls, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.001 mg/L of lead in Sioux Falls water. This is 6.7% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Sioux Falls contained more lead.
While Sioux Falls water testing may have found 0.001 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Sioux Falls Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Base - near Sioux Falls with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Sioux Falls has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Sioux Falls Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | 2100 N MINNESOTA AVENUE SIOUX FALLS, SD, 57104 |
Existing customers can login to their Sioux Falls account to pay their Sioux Falls water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Sioux Falls bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Sioux Falls water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Sioux Falls water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Sioux Falls means you will often need to put the water in your name with Sioux Falls. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Sioux Falls means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Sioux Falls. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1.52 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Sioux Falls, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Contaminants
Sioux Falls
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the South Dakota Department of Environment & Natural Resources, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 158800
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 14
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Arsenic
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Nitrate
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Other Detected Contaminants
- Barium
- Chlorate
- Chromium (total)
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Mercury (inorganic)
- Molybdenum
- Selenium
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Sioux Falls Tap Water
The Sioux Falls tap water is treated to make it safe for drinking. This treatment is required by law, and the major companies that supply this service are constantly testing and improving upon this process to make sure it continues to be safe for you and your family. Of course, we don’t want to take all the safety precautions ourselves, so let’s discuss some of the ones that the Sioux Falls city government provides to you, along with a few things that you can do to protect yourself and your family. After all, if you and I didn’t know anything about this, we wouldn’t be able to drink it!
The first thing you need to realize is that your tap water is probably clean enough and that there isn’t any need for you to bother getting a water purification system. That being said, there is no reason for you to spend your money on something that will never be used. One of the things that the Sioux Falls city government does is offer a water-filtering program that you can take advantage of. In addition to the water purification that they provide, they also have a water distillation plant that you can use. While this system is not as advanced as some of the available systems elsewhere, it is still reasonably practical, and it will help clear out any of the impurities in your drinking water. Another good thing to consider is purchasing a drinking water filter so that you can eliminate the remaining contaminants from your drinking water as well.
There are some other things that you can do to make sure that you’re drinking water is as clean as it possibly can be. You should never forget to fill out and send out your water questionnaire every year. This way, the city can keep track of what kind of impurities are floating around in your water and what type of treatment they have to clean it up. If you notice anything unusual, such as fish or metal in your water, you should contact your city department right away. By doing so, they can get rid of it and make sure that the water sent to your home is clean and pure all the time.
Water in Sioux Falls
There are many options for water in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The most popular way to get water in Sioux Falls is by water. This is an excellent option because the city services include two faucets that provide drinking water and a third that gives stormwater runoff from commercial and residential buildings’ roofs. Each tap has a large hose that extends out of the faucet and can carry water several miles. To do this, you need to turn the water off at the main water valve before heading down the street.
The second way to get water in Sioux Falls is by using the underground water system. This is a much more expensive method that works well in some cases. It also requires permission to dig deep into the ground for the water pipe. Another underground water source can be found near Winnie’s Laid Back Porch, a great place to go if you want an excellent enormous water supply. These systems are usually found in older homes.
There are also options for purifying water in the city of Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls water treatment center uses chlorine to clean the water. The treatment center does use ultraviolet radiation to kill any bacteria or microorganism that may be present. It also uses carbon to absorb odors and chemicals from the water. This is one of the best methods of removing chemicals from tap water. All the water that leaves the treatment center is then returned to the public directly.
Sioux Falls Drinking Water
The Sioux Falls drinking water treatment facility is relatively effective at keeping Sioux Falls drinking water clean. This is so because the treatment center includes a chlorine removal unit that works effectively to eliminate any excesses present in the tap water. The water that makes it to your residence probably does not have very many impurities in it. Still, it is recommended that you periodically check the water for consistency. After all, you don’t want to invest large sums of money into a water purification system only to find out that it does not work as well as it should.
You may be interested in the fact that many health organizations recommend using a home water purification system at all. It is estimated that more than 90% of homes in America have a drinking water source that is contaminated with some level of E-coli bacteria. Although it is generally thought that this is something you would be exposed to daily, it has been shown that children are more susceptible to the bacteria’s presence. As such, the drinking water that you use must indeed have high levels of E-coli. Once you find that it does, you should contact a water treatment company to have the contaminated water adequately treated.
Of course, if you live in a home where the water source is faucet mounted, it is pretty unlikely that you will ever come into contact with any E-coli. However, it is still important to regularly test the water for this bacteria. This will ensure that you will never have to face an emergency where you will have to turn on your tap and find that it is filled with pus. Also, it may be necessary for you to have a water analysis performed regularly. The Sioux Falls Water Treatment Center can do this, as can many other places throughout the United States. This will ensure that you always have the best drinking water available whenever you need it.
Sioux Falls Water Quality Report
If you are looking for a Sioux Falls water quality report, you are advised to take the time to do your research before choosing a company to provide you with this service. You should not rely on one company to represent all of the area’s suppliers because many companies make their judgments and statements about water quality in the area. It is best if you choose a company based upon the actual testing that they have performed, what type of contaminants they found, and the results of those tests. When you find a company that does all three of these things, you can be assured that you will be getting the best possible service and the best results for testing your water supply. Companies that test for these types of contaminants are not likely to test their tap water; therefore, you must work with only the most reputable companies when it comes to getting a Sioux Falls water quality report.
Different reports are available for you to look at, including the “baseline,” which is the standard by which all of the city’s water is tested. You also need to check into the “raw” report, which can tell you a lot about what might be in your water and the treatment methods used to treat it. The “chartered” report is designed to give you an idea of the quality of your water, both from your tap and from your reservoir. Finally, it would help if you looked into the “permanent” report, which gives you information about where your water quality is currently.
While you can get all three of these reports simultaneously, you should not rely solely on one report. Instead, it would help if you used them to determine where the most significant risks lie, whether there are issues that need to be dealt with right away, and how you can improve your water quality in the area. If you live in a heavily populated area that is prone to chemical contamination, you should start checking into the options that are available to you. When it comes to Sioux Falls water quality reports, you never know what you may find. Could you not put it off?
Sioux Falls Water Treatment
The Sioux Falls water treatment plant is one of the most important in the country. Because it handles all of the water that Sioux Falls receives, it’s crucial to the health of everybody living in the Sioux Falls area. This particular water treatment plant processes about twenty-six million gallons of water every day, making it the state’s most extensive water treatment facility. However, there are many reasons why you should have your drinking water tested if you don’t already. If your water is contaminated with dangerous levels of chemicals, then it could be killing you.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Sioux Falls water treatment plant was required to test its water for carcinogens, pesticides, bacteria, cysts, cancer-causing compounds, and other dangerous substances back in the 1970s. Also, they had to test it for different types of hazardous chemicals as well. Unfortunately, none of the tests produced valuable results. They found only two out of thousands of dangerous chemicals that had been found in the water.
But that’s not where the problem ends. Many scientists believe that toxins in the Sioux Falls water treatment plant are so high that they could be killing thousands of people each year. Also, it costs the city hundreds of millions of dollars to treat the water, and those costs are only going to rise in the future. As a result, more people than ever are looking for a home water purification system. If you live in the Sioux Falls area, it’s worth spending the money and the time to get your water tested.
Sioux Falls Water Supply
Most of us have heard about or have personally used, from time to time, the water that comes from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This is one of the great American cities with a long history that is also rich in culture. One of the most enjoyable aspects of living in this area is having the water supply that the city provides for its citizens. If you have never tasted the quality of the water or the quality of the food cooked in the tap water, you may need a little education about what you are missing out on if you don’t have access to this great source of pure water and great food.
The city of Sioux Falls got its start in the 1800s as a stagecoach route. The trains would travel through some of the best forests and travel up and down the river, leading to the reservation where the people live today. Native Americans still live in this area, and they are famous for their rich culture. Their dances are an essential part of their culture, and their food and games are an integral part of their survival.
When you own your own home in the Sioux Falls area, you are provided with a supply of drinking water that is both clean and fresh. You don’t have to use a bottling plant because your water is so pure, and you can cook with it as well. You don’t have to worry about purchasing bottled water because they are costly compared to what you can get for the same price at your local convenience store. You can use tap water and have fun at the same time by enjoying different types of sports and even taking part in a water relay race. This is a lot of fun to do, and you will get a good workout doing it.
Sioux Falls Surface Water
Sioux Falls surface water right now has an average C.D. Of course. You need to remember that this is a standard that has been used for decades and will probably not change soon, so the water you may be tasting right now might be just about as good as it gets. This is especially true if the reservoir you live in is low. But there are other things to keep in mind as well. For example, most cities have laws on how deep your pools can go. Usually, the farther down into the ground they are, the better the water quality will be. Still, suppose you’re anywhere near the bottom or end of the park. In that case, you should probably stay away from it unless you live in one of those heavily populated areas where the water is naturally cleaner than anywhere else.
In some cases, city codes can be exceeded in certain parts of the country. The same thing can apply with Sioux Falls surface water. So, as a homeowner, if you notice that the water at your tap is more-than-ordinary, don’t hesitate to call your local water treatment company and make arrangements to have your water tested. Even if the test results come back as “safe,” you might still want to have it checked out to make sure.
The point of having clean water at all times is to use it as needed. When you’re thirsty, you know where to go for what you need. If you’re worried about having toxic or other contaminants in your drinking water, you’ll know that there’s a reason why you shouldn’t be taking any chances. Sioux Falls surface water is clean enough for you to drink. But as a homeowner, you should always use it as such and have your drinking water tested whenever you might need to.
Sioux Falls Drinking Water Standards
It is time to review the drinking water standards set forth by the Sioux Falls city government and to bring them into the 21st century. What has happened in Sioux Falls is a direct result of environmental pollution and overpopulation. The city was given a mandate by the state to protect the public from hazardous and unhealthy waste and provide safe and healthy water for all citizens.
In reviewing the drinking water standards, the state conducted studies using state-of-the-art equipment and found carcinogens in well water. There are currently two different systems in place for detecting the presence of dangerous carcinogens. The one that was just found is called a Radon Detector, and the other is called a Radon Assay Kit. These kits can be used in conjunction with each other and test for Radon gas presence. Both of these radon methods have proven to be effective.
If a publicly owned treatment facility services you and you are receiving bottled water, you need to have your water tested to ensure that it meets the state’s standards. If you are serviced by a well that is not a public-owned facility, you are responsible for testing your tap water and determining what is in it. If you find contaminants above the drinking water safety level, you will need to install an effective filtration system to make the water safe for drinking right and testing. You can visit the FDA’s website to determine which filtration technologies will meet the needs of your home and your family.