Special Well and Boring Construction Areas

The improper location, construction, or sealing of a well or boring in an area of groundwater contamination may allow contaminants to spread to otherwise protected aquifers. The designation as a special well and boring construction area alerts the public, including property owners, drilling contractors, and local officials, to the occurrence of groundwater contamination, and the need to place special controls on the drilling of new wells and the modifications of existing wells. It provides information on the contamination source, contaminants encountered, aquifers affected, and necessary restrictions. It also allows affected parties, including local units of government, to be aware of and to respond to the contamination problem.

The rules pertaining to the construction of wells and borings place minimum restrictions on the location, construction, repair, and sealing of wells and borings. Special construction requirements are authorized in rule and statute in areas of known or suspected contamination. In order to provide safe water it may be necessary to require the construction of deeper wells, employ special construction techniques, conduct specialized testing, or require special water treatment procedures. Contractors proposing to drill a well or boring in an advisory area must contact the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Well Management Section prior to construction. Contractors and property owners must submit a written request and well construction plan to MDH and must receive written approval before construction, repair, or sealing of a well in the special well and boring construction area.

Note: Temporary borings are exempt from a plan review.

The Harmful Substances Compensation Program, administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), may provide compensation for injuries or property damage related to exposure to harmful substances. Information on eligibility and how to file a claim is available at MPCA's webpage: Cleanup and Redevelopment.

Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.236, states “Before signing an agreement to sell or transfer real property in Washington County that is not served by a municipal water system, the seller must state in writing to the buyer whether, to the seller’s knowledge, the property is located within a special well and boring construction area designated by the commissioner of health under Minnesota Rules, part 4725.3650. If the disclosure under Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.235, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), states that there is an unsealed well on the property, the disclosure required under this clause must be made regardless of whether the property is served by a municipal system.”

Minnesota Rules, part 4725.3650 Special Well and Boring Construction Area rules.

• East Bethel Sanitary Landfill - effective March 15, 1998, - East ½ of Section 8, West ½ of Section 9, West ½ of Northeast ¼ of Section 9, West ½ and Southeast ¼ of Section 9, Township 33 North, Range 23 West; in the city of East Bethel, Anoka County.
• Southwestern Fridley and Southwestern Columbia Heights - effective October 1, 2015, - bounded on the west by the Mississippi River, on the south by the Anoka-Hennepin County line (37th Avenue Northeast), on the east by University Avenue, and on the north by Interstate 694. The SWBCA includes:  that part of the South ½ of Section 22 lying south of Interstate 694; that part of the West ½ of the Southwest ¼ of Section 23 lying south of Interstate 694; the West ½ of the Northwest ¼ and the West ½ of the Southwest ¼ of Section 26; Section 27; Section 34; and the West ½ of the Northwest ¼ and the West ½ of the Southwest ¼ of Section 35; all in Township 30 North, Range 24 West, Anoka County.
• Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) - effective April 20, 2016, revised July 1, 1996, revised June 1999 - Parts of Sections 4 and 33, and all of Sections 7-10, 15-22, and 27-32, Township 30 North, Range 23 West, Ramsey County; parts of Sections 4, 9, 16 and 30-32, and all of Sections 5-8,17-20, and 29, Township 29 North, Range 23 West, Ramsey and Hennepin Counties; parts of Sections 12, 13 and 24, all of Sections 25 and 36, Township 30 North, Range 24 West, Anoka County; and parts of Sections 14 and 23-25, and all of Sections 1, 12, and 13, Township 29 North, Range 24 West, Hennepin County.

• Northern Township - effective August 12, 1991, - Parts of Sections 32 and 33, Township 147 North, Range 33 West, Beltrami County.
• Eckles Township - effective September 1, 2006, - Sections 13, 14, 23, and 24, Township 147, Range 34, Beltrami County.

• Le Hillier - effective September 1981 - Parts of Sections 14 and 23, Township 108 North, Range 27 West, Blue Earth County.

• Inver Grove Heights (Pine Bend Area) - effective April 19, 1973, - Sections 33, 34, 35, Township 27 North, Range 22 West, Dakota County.

• CMC Heartland Lite Yard Site - effective April 1, 2005, - This area includes the area bounded by East 26th Street on the north, 26th Avenue on the east, Lake Street on the south, and Bloomington Avenue South on the west, within the city of Minneapolis. This area includes the Southeast ¼ of Section 35 and the Southwest ¼ of Section 36 of Township 29, Range 24, Hennepin County.
• Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) - effective April 20, 2016, revised July 1, 1996, revised June 1999 - Parts of Sections 4 and 33, and all of Sections 7-10, 15-22, and 27-32, Township 30 North, Range 23 West, Ramsey County; parts of Sections 4, 9, 16 and 30-32, and all of Sections 5-8,17-20, and 29, Township 29 North, Range 23 West, Ramsey and Hennepin Counties; parts of Sections 12, 13 and 24, all of Sections 25 and 36, Township 30 North, Range 24 West, Anoka County; and parts of Sections 14 and 23-25, and all of Sections 1, 12, and 13, Township 29 North, Range 24 West, Hennepin County.

• Spring Grove Township and the City of Spring Grove - effective January 1, 2007, - Sections 11, 12, 13, and 14 of Township 101 North and Range 7 West, Houston County.

• Former Finland Air Force Station - effective February 15, 2014, - All of Sections 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, East ½ (Northeast ¼ and Southeast ¼) Section 6, West ½ (Northwest ¼ and Southwest ¼) of Section 10, Northwest ¼ of Section 16, and Northeast ¼ of Section 17, Township 57 North, Range 7 West; all of Section 33, South ½ (Southeast ¼ and the Southwest ¼) of Section 28, Southeast ¼ of Section 29, and the Northeast ¼, Southeast ¼, and Southwest ¼ of Section 32, Township 58 North, Range 7 West; Lake County.

• Pelican Rapids City and Pelican Township - effective January 2, 2018, - The southern boundary west of Highway 59 follows the centerline of Fifth Avenue Northwest and the extension of that centerline west to Third Street Northwest. East of Highway 59, the southern boundary follows the centerline of Fifth Avenue Northeast east to the center of the Southeast ¼ of Section 22, Township 136 North, Range 43 West; The northern boundary extends along the centerline of Industrial Park Drive and the extension of that centerline east and west to the following described western and eastern boundaries; The western boundary extends from the southern boundary north along the centerline of Third Street Northwest and the extension of that centerline north to the northern boundary; The eastern boundary extends north along the quarter section line from the center of the Southeast ¼ of Section 22, Township 136 North, Range 43 West to the northern boundary.
• Perham - effective February 15, 2007, - South ½ of Section 14 and that portion of Section 23 north of State Highway 10 on Township 136 North, Range 39 West, Otter Tail County.

• Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) - effective April 20, 2016, revised July 1, 1996, revised June 1999 - Parts of Sections 4 and 33, and all of Sections 7-10, 15-22, and 27-32, Township 30 North, Range 23 West, Ramsey County; parts of Sections 4, 9, 16 and 30-32, and all of Sections 5-8,17-20, and 29, Township 29 North, Range 23 West, Ramsey and Hennepin Counties; parts of Sections 12, 13 and 24, all of Sections 25 and 36, Township 30 North, Range 24 West, Anoka County; and parts of Sections 14 and 23-25, and all of Sections 1, 12, and 13, Township 29 North, Range 24 West, Hennepin County.

• Long Prairie - effective January 1, 2007, - This area is bounded on the north by a line beginning at the intersection of County Road 5 and Ninth Street Northeast and extending due west to the Long Prairie River (the city of Long Prairie boundary), Ninth Street Northeast/Ninth Street Southeast on the east, Second Avenue Southeast on the south, and the Long Prairie River and State Aid Highway 71 on the west. The SWBCA is within the limits of the city of Long Prairie and is within the West ½ of the Southwest ¼ of Section 16, the Southeast ¼ of Section 17 (that portion east of the Long Prairie River), the Northeast ¼ of Section 20, and the West ½ of the Northwest ¼ of Section 21 of Township 129 North, Range 33 West, Todd County.

Note: For Sale or Transfer of Property in Washington County
Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.236, states “Before signing an agreement to sell or transfer real property in Washington County that is not served by a municipal water system, the seller must state in writing to the buyer whether, to the seller’s knowledge, the property is located within a special well and boring construction area designated by the commissioner of health under Minnesota Rules, part 4725.3650. If the disclosure under Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.235, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), states that there is an unsealed well on the property, the disclosure required under this clause must be made regardless of whether the property is served by a municipal system.”

• Baytown/West Lakeland Townships - effective May 6, 1988, revised March 30, 2005 - and cities of Bayport and Lake Elmo - South ½ of Sections 7 and 8; Sections 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, and North ½ of Section 19, Township 29 North, Range 20 West; and Section 13, Township 29 North, Range 21 West, Washington County.
• Lake Elmo/Oakdale - effective March 15, 2007, - All of Sections 14-16, 19-23, and 26-35 and portions of Sections 9-11, 13, 17-18, and 24, Township 29 North, Range 21 West, Washington County. This designation is an expansion and renaming of the existing Washington County Landfill SWBCA, originally established in 1982. This expansion includes the Oakdale disposal site.
• Lakeland/Lakeland Shores - effective December 16, 1987, - Parts of Sections 33, 34, and 35, Township 29 North, Range 20 West, and parts of Sections 2, 3, and 4, Township 28 North, Range 20 West, Washington County. Beginning at the intersection of Interstate Highway 94 and the western shore of the St. Croix River, travel west along Interstate Highway 94 to the southwest section corner of Section 33, Township 29 North, Range 20 West. Continue directly south along the section line to the half-section point of Section 4, Township 28 North, Range 20 West, and continue due west to the western shore of the St. Croix River. Continue north along the western shore of the St. Croix river to the point of beginning.
• St. Paul Park and Newport - effective November 1, 1997, - Parts of Sections 1, 2, 11, and 12 in Township 27 North, Range 22 West, Washington County.