PFAS Contamination

PFAS in Minnesota Drinking Water

Ranked by number of PFAS compounds detected · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

189

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

% Exceeds Limit

1.3 compounds

State Avg

▼ 13% vs national

vs National

217

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in Minnesota: what the data shows

Minnesota has 189 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 144 of those cities (76%), with some cities exceeding the EPA's 2024 maximum contaminant levels of 4 ppt. The state average is better than the national average. 16 cities exceed the EPA MCL for at least one PFAS compound. PFAS are linked to cancer, immune system disruption, and developmental issues. The 2024 EPA rule requires water systems exceeding the MCL to notify customers and reduce levels by 2029. PFAS data comes from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR 5), which required large water systems to test for 29 PFAS compounds between 2023–2025. Not all systems have completed testing — cities without data may still have PFAS present.

Comparison

Cities exceeding EPA MCL (4 ppt each)

Minnesota

16 of 189 cities

← ▼ 13% below national rate (better)

National avg

21%

1662 of 7853 cities

City Map

PFAS data across Minnesota

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. PFAS-tested cities are shown; those exceeding the 4 ppt EPA MCL appear in red. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by pfas level in Minnesota

Highest PFAS levels (compounds)

All Cities

All Minnesota cities ranked by pfas level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Sauk Rapids	9 compounds	Yes	2	B+
2	Waite Park	8 compounds	Yes	0	B+
3	Woodbury	7 compounds	Yes	0	B+
4	Hastings	7 compounds	Yes	8	C+
5	Brooklyn Park	6 compounds	Yes	0	B+
6	Stillwater	6 compounds	Yes	8	C+
7	South St. Paul	6 compounds	Yes	6	B+
8	Becker	6 compounds	Yes	0	A
9	Shakopee	5 compounds	No	7	B
10	Oak Park Heights	5 compounds	No	1	A
11	Alexandria	4 compounds	Yes	0	B
12	Newport	4 compounds	Yes	0	A-
13	Apple Valley	3 compounds	No	0	B+
14	Inver Grove Heights	3 compounds	No	37	D
15	Brooklyn Center	3 compounds	Yes	0	A
16	Anoka	3 compounds	No	4	A
17	Monticello	3 compounds	No	6	B
18	Robbinsdale	3 compounds	No	0	A
19	Lake Elmo	3 compounds	Yes	6	B
20	North St. Paul	3 compounds	Yes	1	A
21	St. Paul	2 compounds	No	5	B-
22	Rochester	2 compounds	No	1	C+
23	Plymouth	2 compounds	No	2	A-
24	Maple Grove	2 compounds	No	0	B+
25	Blaine	2 compounds	No	3	A-
26	Eagan	2 compounds	No	0	A-
27	Burnsville	2 compounds	No	0	A-
28	Minnetonka	2 compounds	No	0	A
29	Edina	2 compounds	No	1	B+
30	St. Louis Park	2 compounds	No	5	A-
31	Moorhead	2 compounds	No	0	B+
32	Cottage Grove	2 compounds	No	4	A-
33	White Bear Lake	2 compounds	Yes	0	A-
34	Northfield	2 compounds	No	0	A-
35	Golden Valley	2 compounds	No	0	A-
36	Andover	2 compounds	No	3	A+
37	Rogers	2 compounds	No	0	A+
38	Cloquet	2 compounds	Yes	0	A-
39	Marshall	2 compounds	No	0	B+
40	Big Lake	2 compounds	No	1	A
41	Fairmont	2 compounds	No	3	A-
42	East Grand Forks	2 compounds	No	0	A
43	Princeton	2 compounds	Yes	0	A-
44	Dilworth	2 compounds	No	1	A-
45	Wayzata	2 compounds	No	0	A-
46	Pipestone	2 compounds	No	2	A
47	Shorewood	2 compounds	No	0	A-
48	Melrose	2 compounds	No	3	A
49	Lakeland	2 compounds	No	0	A+
50	Minneapolis	1 compounds	No	2	B-
51	Bloomington	1 compounds	No	1	A
52	St. Cloud	1 compounds	No	2	A-
53	Lakeville	1 compounds	No	2	A-
54	Coon Rapids	1 compounds	No	2	A
55	Eden Prairie	1 compounds	No	0	A-
56	Prior Lake	1 compounds	No	1	B+
57	Mankato	1 compounds	No	8	F
58	Richfield	1 compounds	No	0	A+
59	Roseville	1 compounds	No	0	A
60	Albertville	1 compounds	No	0	A-
61	Winona	1 compounds	No	10	A
62	Chaska	1 compounds	No	2	B+
63	Savage	1 compounds	No	5	A-
64	Oakdale	1 compounds	No	1	B+
65	Fridley	1 compounds	No	0	A-
66	Farmington	1 compounds	No	0	A-
67	Rosemount	1 compounds	No	1	B+
68	Owatonna	1 compounds	No	0	A
69	Austin	1 compounds	No	0	B+
70	Shoreview	1 compounds	No	0	A
71	Faribault	1 compounds	No	2	B+
72	Chanhassen	1 compounds	No	0	B+
73	Crystal	1 compounds	No	0	A+
74	New Brighton	1 compounds	No	1	A
75	Columbia Heights	1 compounds	No	0	B+
76	Willmar	1 compounds	No	3	A-
77	New Hope	1 compounds	No	0	A-
78	Sartell	1 compounds	No	0	A-
79	Hopkins	1 compounds	No	0	B+
80	Lino Lakes	1 compounds	No	1	C+
81	Albert Lea	1 compounds	No	0	A-
82	Ramsey	1 compounds	No	0	A+
83	Red Wing	1 compounds	No	5	A
84	Lake Benton	1 compounds	No	1	A-
85	North Mankato	1 compounds	No	1	A-
86	Fergus Falls	1 compounds	No	11	C
87	New Ulm	1 compounds	No	0	B+
88	Worthington	1 compounds	No	0	B+
89	Waconia	1 compounds	No	0	B+
90	Mounds View	1 compounds	No	0	A+
91	Vadnais Heights	1 compounds	No	0	B+
92	Hugo	1 compounds	No	0	A+
93	St. Peter	1 compounds	No	1	A+
94	Victoria	1 compounds	No	3	A-
95	Detroit Lakes	1 compounds	No	36	C-
96	Arden Hills	1 compounds	No	0	A
97	Mound	1 compounds	No	1	A-
98	Waseca	1 compounds	No	0	A
99	Little Falls	1 compounds	No	0	A
100	Thief River Falls	1 compounds	No	20	B-
101	New Prague	1 compounds	No	1	A-
102	Mahtomedi	1 compounds	No	0	A
103	Luverne	1 compounds	No	0	A-
104	Belle Plaine	1 compounds	No	0	A+
105	Crookston	1 compounds	No	0	B-
106	Kasson	1 compounds	No	0	A
107	Litchfield	1 compounds	No	3	A-
108	Jordan	1 compounds	No	1	A
109	Zimmerman	1 compounds	No	0	A+
110	Carver	1 compounds	No	0	A-
111	Welch	1 compounds	No	0	B+
112	Delano	1 compounds	No	0	A
113	Jeffers	1 compounds	No	0	A
114	Minnetrista	1 compounds	No	0	A
115	Circle Pines	1 compounds	No	0	A-
116	Glencoe	1 compounds	No	1	A
117	St. Paul Park	1 compounds	No	0	A-
118	Morris	1 compounds	No	10	D
119	Montevideo	1 compounds	No	0	A+
120	Redwood Falls	1 compounds	No	0	B+
121	Watertown	1 compounds	No	1	A-
122	Lake City	1 compounds	No	6	A
123	Elko-New Market	1 compounds	No	4	A+
124	Windom	1 compounds	No	0	B+
125	St. James	1 compounds	No	0	A
126	Morton	1 compounds	No	0	C+
127	Eveleth	1 compounds	No	7	A-
128	Hamel	1 compounds	No	2	A
129	Lesueur	1 compounds	No	0	A
130	Centerville	1 compounds	No	0	A-
131	Lonsdale	1 compounds	No	2	A
132	Mora	1 compounds	No	2	A-
133	Chisago City	1 compounds	No	0	A
134	Long Prairie	1 compounds	No	1	A
135	Sleepy Eye	1 compounds	No	0	A
136	Annandale	1 compounds	No	0	A
137	Breckenridge	1 compounds	No	0	A-
138	Jackson	1 compounds	No	0	B+
139	Blue Earth	1 compounds	No	0	A-
140	Arlington	1 compounds	No	1	A-
141	Ortonville	1 compounds	No	0	A-
142	St. Clair	1 compounds	No	0	A
143	Holdingford	1 compounds	No	0	A
144	Amboy	1 compounds	No	14	C+
145	Duluth	0 compounds	No	1	A-
146	Champlin	0 compounds	No	0	A
147	Elk River	0 compounds	No	0	A
148	Otsego	0 compounds	No	3	A+
149	Buffalo	0 compounds	No	0	A-
150	Hibbing	0 compounds	No	1	C
151	Bemidji	0 compounds	No	7	C
152	Brainerd	0 compounds	No	3	B+
153	Hutchinson	0 compounds	No	0	A
154	Forest Lake	0 compounds	No	0	A
155	Grand Rapids	0 compounds	No	1	B+
156	Cambridge	0 compounds	No	0	A
157	Baxter	0 compounds	No	0	A+
158	St. Joseph	0 compounds	No	1	A-
159	Virginia	0 compounds	No	0	A-
160	Isanti	0 compounds	No	2	A+
161	Hermantown	0 compounds	No	0	A+
162	Spring Lake Park	0 compounds	No	4	A-
163	Stewartville	0 compounds	No	0	A
164	Byron	0 compounds	No	0	A
165	North Branch	0 compounds	No	0	A
166	International Falls	0 compounds	No	0	A
167	Onamia	0 compounds	No	1	D
168	St. Francis	0 compounds	No	2	A+
169	Lindstrom	0 compounds	No	1	A-
170	Lacrescent	0 compounds	No	3	A
171	Chisholm	0 compounds	No	0	A-
172	Sauk Centre	0 compounds	No	2	A-
173	Park Rapids	0 compounds	No	9	A
174	Wadena	0 compounds	No	0	A+
175	Cannon Falls	0 compounds	No	0	A
176	Cold Spring	0 compounds	No	10	A
177	Wyoming	0 compounds	No	1	A+
178	Norwood Young America	0 compounds	No	2	A
179	St. Charles	0 compounds	No	0	A
180	Two Harbors	0 compounds	No	0	A
181	Perham	0 compounds	No	1	A
182	Plainview	0 compounds	No	0	A-
183	Pine Island	0 compounds	No	0	A-
184	Ely	0 compounds	No	3	B-
185	Elgin	0 compounds	No	2	A+
186	Bird Island	0 compounds	No	1	A
187	Mabel	0 compounds	No	0	A+
188	Ranier	0 compounds	No	0	A+
189	Floodwood	0 compounds	No	5	A+

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in Minnesota

Does Minnesota tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 144 of 189 Minnesota cities tested under EPA's UCMR 5 program. 16 cities exceed the 2024 EPA MCL of 4 ppt for individual PFAS compounds.

How can I remove PFAS from my drinking water in Minnesota?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective at removing PFAS, typically removing 90%+ of compounds. High-quality activated carbon block filters (NSF 58-certified for RO, or NSF 53 for solid carbon) also provide significant reduction. Standard pitcher filters vary widely in PFAS removal.

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