Water

Water shortages and problems around Minnesota — and the country — have many wondering what is the true cost of clean and reliable water. This reporting is supported in part by The Water Main, a project of American Public Media.

From bridges to water pipes, federal funding bill cuts hundreds of millions for projects across Minnesota
The continuing budget resolution signed by President Donald Trump Saturday ended the threat of a government shutdown; it also cut hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for local projects across Minnesota.
Former 3M property in Hubbard County will become a wildlife management area
Land owned by 3M on Mantrap Lake in Hubbard County, will be transferred to the state Department of Natural Resources later this year after being acquired through a partnership with the Minnesota Land Trust and Northern Waters Land Trust.
COVID boosted efforts to track diseases in wastewater
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater sampling wasn't routinely done for public health purposes. But as the case number climbed scientists and public health officials saw the value of getting a sneak peek of where the virus was spreading, and where the next hot spot might be.
New fines and awareness help reduce litter on Minnesota lakes, but advocates want more action
Lake advocates say a recent state law is helping curb the problem of trash left on Minnesota’s frozen lakes. But they're hoping for more action, including passage of a bill requiring state agencies establish a statewide “Keep It Clean” program and provide funding for local cleanup efforts.
Drone surveys help scientists understand impact of Rapidan Dam ‘avulsive failure’
Documenting and researching this type of dam failure is a way for researchers to help get data out to public officials and respond in case something like this were to happen again in another place.
Water-guzzling data centers spark worries for Minnesota’s groundwater
A single large data center can use millions of gallons of water a day, as much as thousands of homes. But pinpointing exactly how many are being built and how much water they’ll use can be a challenge, even for state regulators.
Stauber reintroduces bill to reverse mining ban near Boundary Waters, return leases to Twin Metals
Northern Minnesota Republican Congressman Pete Stauber has reintroduced legislation to overturn a 20-year mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. If passed, the bill would also return mineral leases to Twin Metals, the company vying to build an underground copper mine near Ely.
Long before RFK Jr., Brainerd fought bitter legal battle over fluoride in its water supply
The topic of whether to fluoridate drinking water is back in the public sphere again, in part because of the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary. It’s an issue that caused a decades long debate in the central Minnesota town of Brainerd, which is looking back on that period with an original show, “Fluoride, the Musical.”
A drop in groundwater could mean big trouble for a tiny snail as Nevada lithium project presses on
Opponents of a huge lithium mine under construction in Nevada want U.S. officials to investigate whether the project already has caused a drop in groundwater levels that could lead to extinction of a tiny snail.