Drinking Water Protection
- Drinking Water Protection Home
- About Us
- A-Z Index of Contaminants in Water
- Community Public Water Supply
- Drinking Water Grants and Loans
- Drinking Water Institute
- Drinking Water in Schools and Child Cares
- Drinking Water Revolving Fund
- Laws and Rules
- Noncommunity Public Water Supply
- Source Water Protection
- Water Operator and Certification Training
- Drinking Water Protection Contacts
Related Topics
- Annual Reports
- Drinking Water Risk Communication Toolkit
- Drinking Water Protection External Resources
- Fact Sheets
- Forms
- Invisible Heroes Videos: Minnesota's Drinking Water Providers
- Noncom Notes Newsletter
- Sample Collection Procedures (videos, pictures, written instructions)
- Waterline Newsletter
Related Sites
- 10 States Standards
- Clean Water Fund
- Health Risk Assessment – Guidance Values and Standards for Water
- Minnesota Well Index
- Water and Health
- Wells and Borings
Environmental Health Division
About the MDH Drinking Water Protection Program
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is the state authority for drinking water. Several programs at MDH work together to ensure safe and adequate drinking water. The Drinking Water Protection program focuses on public water supplies. Public water supplies serve 25 people or more in places where they live, work, gather and play. Program functions include:
- Helping public water suppliers to protect the water supply (groundwater, river, or lake).
- Administering grants to protect water supplies and for infrastructure and activities.
- Coordinating training and certification for water operators.
- Reviewing plans for new infrastructure or changes in water treatment procedures.
- Enforcing federal safe drinking water standards through inspections and corrective action.
- Sampling water or assisting public water operators in sampling.
- Helping public water suppliers address contamination problems.
- Communicating important information about drinking water with the public and other stakeholders.
Learn more about Drinking Water Protection in Minnesota (PDF) and how we protect drinking water from source to tap. This document provides information about community and noncommunity water systems, data on our compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, and an infographic on drinking water protection from source to tap. (Please note, the PDF is intended to be printed and folded in half, with “Drinking Water Protection in Minnesota” as the cover and “How are we doing?” as the back page.)
Seven units in the Drinking Water Protection program administer the functions above:
- Source Water Protection
- Community Public Water Supply
- Noncommunity Public Water Supply
- Infrastructure Unit
- Administrative Unit
- Operations Unit
- Communications & Strategic Initiatives Unit
Other drinking water programs and efforts at MDH include:
- Well Management: assuring the proper construction of new wells and borings, and the proper sealing of unused wells and borings.
- Contaminants of Emerging Concern: investigating and communicating the health and exposure potential of contaminants of emerging concern in drinking water.
- Guidance for Contaminants: developing guidance for different purposes to protect people’s health from contaminants in drinking water.
- Climate and Health: helping to understand the impacts of changes in Minnesota’s climate and prepare local public health and the public for the health risks.
- Water Reuse: developing recommendations for best practices and policies for water reuse in Minnesota.
The Drinking Water Protection (DWP) program of the Minnesota Department of Health occasionally receives state and federal funding that potentially could be used as sponsorship funds for partners who help ensure, promote, and educate about safe drinking water. Please be aware that funding availability may be limited. If you would like to request DWP to consider partnering with you, please connect with us at Health.DrinkingWater@state.mn.us using the subject line "Sponsorship Funding Request".