Nitrate and PFAS contamination concerns in Minnesota water

A recent report from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency indicates that while nitrate levels in southeast Minnesota are trending downward, nitrate contamination remains a significant issue for private wells. In 2025, approximately 7.4% of the 363 private wells sampled through a volunteer monitoring network exceeded the state’s health risk limit of 10 milligrams per liter of nitrate-nitrogen. The region's specific geology makes it particularly vulnerable to contaminants from agricultural fertilizers, manure, and septic systems seeping into the groundwater.

Separately, concerns have been raised regarding the lack of state agency testing for PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals,’ in fish within Minnesota waterways. An analysis of public data suggests that nearly 1,000 lakes and 4,200 river miles located downstream of 93 facilities with known groundwater contamination have not been adequately sampled for PFAS. Some areas, such as those near the closed Gofer Landfill, have shown groundwater PFAS concentrations significantly exceeding human exposure thresholds.