Groundwater Quality
Ground water is managed by cities, county, state, federal government (as well as you, the end-user). Each has a slightly different role because groundwater is a complex issue requiring expertise in several disciplines, along with the fact that some programs are better implemented on the local rather than state or federal level (and vice versa). Most inquiries about groundwater quality should start at the local level (city or county), but you might end up talking to someone at a state agency.
Most ground water quality protection is in the form of Wellhead Protection Planning. The primary purpose of these plans is to identify potential sources of contamination and areas that would be most susceptible to contamination, and put a plan in place to protect groundwater supplies given these data. In 1995 Anoka County, with input from the cities, produced a Ground Water Protection Assessment that identified activities that should be implemented to protect city water supplies and areas where special measures are most needed. Under the guidance of this document, 10 Anoka County cities formed a Joint Powers Organization to jointly write a city-level Wellhead Protection Plan. This cooperative effort is not only efficient, it is also wise for water protection because good ground water management should extend across city boundaries. The two cities that are not part of this cooperative effort (St. Francis and Andover) have their own Wellhead Protection Plans. Townships generally do not have public water supplies, and are therefore not required to have Wellhead Protection Plans.
Two state government agencies are involved in ground water protection. The Minnesota Department of Health is the lead agency on many aspects, including water protection planning, well permits, water testing, and agricultural testing. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency deals with agricultural chemicals and their impacts on water quality, and cleanup of contaminated sites. The Minnesota DNR, Minnesota Geologic Survey, Board of Water and Soil Resources, and several others also play smaller roles.
Regardless of government involvement, it is important that each homeowner take precautions to protect their own drinking water. You have a special responsibility if you own your own well. NEVER use a well for disposal. Keep chemicals away from the well. Consider that your well and its casing are potentially a direct path for pollutants to enter the groundwater that you and your neighbors drink. Unused wells must, by law, be sealed by a professional for precisely this reason. There is not a government cost share program in Anoka County to assist you with well-sealing costs.
If you are interested in knowing more about the quality of water from your private well, Anoka County provides low-cost drinking water tests. If you are connected to a municipal water system, the city does regular testing and can inform you of the results.
