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.

Longtime MPCA employee alleges retaliation over petroleum complaints
Mark Toso alleges that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency penalized him for raising concerns that its program for handling leaking petroleum tanks was failing to protect groundwater.
'Heaven is going to be when your hair smells like lake water'
Emily Buermann shares a story about her great-grandmother’s vision of heaven as part of the We Are Water MN project.
The Minnesota Humanities Center “We Are Water Minnesota” traveling exhibit will show up cities like St. Paul, Winona, Fergus Falls and Lake City in 2022 as an interactive display that gives folks the chance to explore what water means in Minnesota — and how we can all do a better job protecting it.
Minnesota moves closer to completing St. Louis River restoration
This month the Minnesota DNR completed one of its largest-ever habitat restoration projects, a three-year, $18 million project restoring 230 acres of coastal wetland habitat in the St. Louis River estuary near Duluth.
What to know about the EPA's plan to regulate 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to regulate so-called "forever chemicals." Known as PFAS, these chemicals are found in a variety of household products and have been linked to health problems, including some cancers. The chemicals have contaminated water supplies throughout the U.S., including here in Minnesota.
What the EPA's plan to regulate 'forever chemicals' means for Minnesota
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has an ambitious strategy to deal with PFAS — human-made “forever chemicals” that have polluted public drinking water supplies and accumulated in fish and wildlife. The plan is expected to bolster efforts already underway in Minnesota to deal with the contaminants.
EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic 'forever chemicals'
The EPA will move to set aggressive drinking water limits for PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act and will require PFAS manufacturers to report on how toxic their products are. The agency also is moving to designate PFAS as hazardous substances under the so-called Superfund law that allows the EPA to force companies responsible for the contamination to pay for the cleanup work or do it themselves.