Dakota County, Minnesota has about 453,156 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 20 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Eagan, serving about 68,223 people from groundwater.
! 2 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 5 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 14.7 gpg (low confidence)
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
How hard is Dakota County water?
EaganEstimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence
14.7 gpg(252 mg/L), very hard
Dakota County: median of 1,275 results from 262 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.
County estimates: Hard Water Map (hardwatermap.com), CC BY 4.0, derived from the USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal; file generated 2026-07-22. License
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
Softener size at 14.7 gpg
For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 17,596 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain. This uses a low-confidence county estimate, so confirm with a test first.
Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
The 6 biggest of 20 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.
Eagan
MN1190007 · serves about 68,223 people · Groundwater
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS detected (1 type)
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFBA: highest sample 19.3 ppt (4 of 4 samples); no federal limit
MN1190015 · serves about 67,300 people · Groundwater
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
MN1190002 · serves about 64,317 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS detected (1 type)
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFBA: highest sample 25.5 ppt (4 of 4 samples); no federal limit
MN1190001 · serves about 50,300 people · Groundwater
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS detected (2 types)
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFBA: highest sample 27.5 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
PFHxS: highest sample 3.1 ppt (1 of 2 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.
Test your own tap
These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.
Common questions about Dakota County water
Is tap water in Dakota County safe to drink?
2 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Eagan's most recent lead 90th percentile was below the lab detection limit (2023), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.
How hard is the water in Dakota County?
There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Dakota County have a median of about 14.7 grains per gallon (252 mg/L, very hard). That's a low-confidence estimate of source water, not your tap, so test before you buy equipment. For a 3-person home at 14.7 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.
Is there PFAS in Dakota County water?
5 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.
Which water system serves my address in Dakota County?
Most homes are served by Eagan or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.
Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.