REGIONAL — A comprehensive state drinking water plan released this week reveals gaps in protections and resources for rural Minnesotans, particularly the more than 1.2 million residents who depend on private wells rather than municipal water systems.
The Minnesota Drinking Water Action Plan, developed by the Minnesota Department of Health with partner agencies, outlines a 10-year strategy to address what officials describe as an unfair burden placed on rural well owners and small-town water systems.
“About 20 percent of Minnesotans get their drinking water from a private well,” the plan states, noting these residents must act as their own water system operators with minimal government support or oversight.
Rural well owners left to navigate risks alone
Unlike residents connected to public water systems, private well owners bear sole responsibility for testing their water, interpreting results, and paying for treatment or repairs when contamination occurs — even when the pollution originates from neighboring properties.
“A private well user’s water quality can be affected by the geology and land use practices near their well, regardless of their own land use practices,” the plan says. “Well users do not control what their neighbors do – even though their neighbors’ actions may impact the well water quality.”
The plan points to health consequences of this disparity. When federal arsenic standards were strengthened for public water systems in 2001, studies showed a 17-percent decrease in arsenic exposure among public system users but no improvement for private well users, who continue drinking water with elevated arsenic levels.
“Fifty percent of private wells have arsenic, a known human carcinogen, in the water,” the plan states, adding that about half of private wells also have manganese at levels unsafe for infants.
Yet while “millions of dollars come from federal and state government for public water infrastructure,” the plan notes, “there is not proportionate funding for private wells.”
Small towns face mounting costs
Rural municipalities operating their own water systems face similarly daunting challenges. Nearly half of Minnesota’s public water systems serve towns with fewer than 500 residents, and more than 80 percent serve communities below 3,300 people.
These small systems must meet the same federal standards as large urban utilities but “have limited financial resources to fund the work and limited technical resources and knowledge,” according to the plan.
“The cost of infrastructure improvements disproportionately affect smaller public water systems and their ratepayers because there is a smaller base across which to spread the cost,” the document states.
The burden has grown with emerging threats. New federal regulations for PFAS contamination and revised lead testing requirements add compliance costs that stretch thin budgets in towns already struggling to maintain aging pipes and treatment facilities.
Workforce shortages threaten rural water security
The plan also warns that rural areas face acute shortages of licensed well contractors and certified water system operators.
“Finding, training, and retaining qualified new staff is challenging, especially with changes in contemporary work settings and culture,” officials wrote, noting that “many smaller communities now lack dedicated staff for their water treatment systems.”
Retirements compound the problem. The plan warns of “loss of institutional knowledge in the workforce with retirements,” which threatens continuity in rural water system management.
Climate threats hit rural communities harder
Climate change impacts described in the plan – including flooding, drought, and well interference from increased irrigation – pose particular risks for rural residents.
“High levels of groundwater use for irrigation in response to drought can draw down water levels in nearby private wells and can even leave households without drinking water,” the plan warns.
The document notes that private well owners often lack resources to address climate-related disruptions, while small public systems struggle to afford backup wells and emergency power systems.
Proposed solutions
The plan proposes several targeted interventions for rural communities. Officials call for establishing “a sustainable system that empowers private well users to take charge of their drinking water,” which would include expanded testing options, financial assistance for repairs, and support for alternate water supplies when needed.
The state aims to protect 400,000 acres of vulnerable land around drinking water sources statewide by 2034. Officials also plan to provide asset management training and technical assistance specifically for small water systems, expand income-based financial assistance for private well treatment and repairs, and develop a “Minnesota Private Well Stewardship Network” to provide peer-to-peer education and support.
State water agency leaders acknowledged the urgency in their joint message: “It’s timely then, for us to pause and consider carefully what actions we should take now to protect our drinking water into the future.”
The plan will be updated every two years through 2034 to track progress on implementation.