What's Filling Your Owala? Fargo Water Ranking Raises Questions for NDSU Students

NDSU students may give little thought before filling their water bottles from the nearest faucet. Whether water comes from a dorm, student apartment, off-campus residence or even the Memorial Union, most students likely do not question its quality. A new national ranking of college-town water quality, however, has put Fargo's drinking water under scrutiny.

Culligan ZeroWater's 2026 nationwide report ranked Fargo 27th out of 50 college towns. Culligan, a water filtration company, released its report for the first time this year. Fargo received a C grade for lead but also received A grades in the PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and hazard mixture categories included in the ranking, which involve chemicals commonly referred to as "forever chemicals."

Culligan released the rankings in July after analyzing publicly available water-quality data from each town. NDSU was selected to represent North Dakota based on 2024 university enrollment data.

The ranking may sound a tad alarming at first, but Fargo Water Utility Director Troy Hall said the city's own testing paints a far different picture.

"Our testing results are extremely low," Hall said during a phone interview Aug. 31.

Fargo's most recently published regulatory lead testing, conducted in 2023, produced a 90th percentile result of 2.34 parts per billion. None of the 50 sites tested exceeded the federal action level of 15 parts per billion.

The 90th percentile measurement does not represent the average amount of lead in Fargo's water. Instead, federal regulations require utilities to use results from homes that are more likely to contain lead service lines. The 90th percentile result represents the level at which 90% of sampled homes tested at or below that amount.

Hall explained that Fargo's recent results have remained around 2 parts per billion, considerably below federal regulatory thresholds.

"We're actually on reduced monitoring right now," Hall said, explaining that the city's consistently low testing results have decreased regulatory concern surrounding its lead levels.

The difference between Culligan's C grade and Fargo's testing arises partly from how the company developed its ranking. Culligan did not collect water samples from each college town. Instead, the water filtration company analyzed publicly available data and compared the results with federal regulatory limits, regulatory goals and public health thresholds.

Culligan used a federal lead threshold of 10 parts per billion in its scoring, but it did not stop there. It also considered the Environmental Protection Agency's goal of zero lead in drinking water. As a result, the grade reflects more than whether Fargo meets federal regulatory requirements.

Hall said lead is generally not an issue with water as it leaves Fargo's treatment facilities. Instead, lead can enter drinking water later through corrosion in plumbing fixtures and lead service lines. This may be particularly relevant for homeowners, landlords and tenants in older buildings.

According to the City of Fargo, treated water leaving its water treatment plant meets EPA requirements and does not contain lead contamination from the treatment process. Lead can enter the water when plumbing materials containing lead corrode as water travels into individual buildings.

That distinction is particularly relevant to students living in older homes and apartments near NDSU.

A service line connects a city water main to the plumbing inside a building. Fargo maintains the portion running from the water main to the curb stop while the property owner maintains the remaining portion entering the residence. The city also currently implements an interactive online map allowing residents to check how the service line at their address is currently classified.

Fargo has been working to remove its remaining lead service lines for several years. In 2024, Hall told city commissioners that approximately 2,500 lead service lines were serving Fargo homes and businesses.

During the interview, Hall estimated that the city has already replaced close to 300 lines in 2026 alone and explained that Fargo is actively working toward replacing approximately 500 each year, depending on continued funding. The city hopes to complete the replacement program around 2029.

"Even though our testing is really good, the right thing to do is to get them out of service," Hall said.

Hall also cited Fargo's performance in drinking-water taste competitions. Fargo placed second nationally in the American Water Works Association's 2024 People's Choice Tap Water Taste Test. Fargo also won North Dakota's competition in 2022 and 2023.

Still, taste alone cannot reveal whether water contains lead. Fargo's service line map gives off-campus students and NDSU employees a way to check the classification of the line serving their building or surrounding area. Students concerned about their drinking water can also contact the Fargo Water Treatment Plant or have their water tested through a certified laboratory.

For Hall, Fargo's ongoing replacement program is intended to continue to improve water quality even when the city is already meeting regulatory requirements.

"We don't just do the bare minimum compliance," Hall said. "We do as good as we can from a quality standpoint."