Drinking water

There's no excuse for unsafe drinking water. Yet every day, there are Minnesotans whose health is put at risk by outdated lead service lines, aging water treatment infrastructure or community wells tainted with nitrates. Unsurprisingly, it's often economically disadvantaged communities and communities of color who are most at risk. At FMR, we advocate for funding and policies that will ensure all Minnesotans — regardless of their ZIP code — have access to safe drinking water, while simultaneously defending the important environmental protections that do exist.

Drinking water

A bad idea that won't go away: Diverting the river

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November 10, 2023

Despite its high environmental and economic costs, the literal "pipe dream" of diverting water from the Mississippi River to Arizona, Colorado and other dry states won't disappear. Read more

Outline of U.S. with Mississippi River, plus a pipeline splitting off the river to the Southwest

Minnesota's drought contributes to drinking water crisis downriver

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October 10, 2023

In this Q&A, Matt Rota at Healthy Gulf in Louisiana talks with FMR about the saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River threatening New Orleans' drinking water supply — and already impacting communities farther south. Read more

Army Corps boats construct a sill to prevent saltwater intrusion

Is Minnesota doing enough to protect our drinking water?

by Trevor Russell

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September 13, 2023

A recent headline in the Star Tribune said it all: 'Little action so far on plan to enlist farmers to clean up polluted groundwater in Minnesota.' How did we get here? And what do we do about it? Read more

Person holds a mason jar of clear water in a field of Kernza

Sackett case: How the Supreme Court ruling impacts the Mississippi River

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June 12, 2023

On May 25, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a decision that drastically narrows the scope of the Clean Water Act and represents one of the most far-reaching rollbacks to this decades-old law since its passage in 1972. Read more

How FMR's priorities for the Mississippi River fared in the 2023 session

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May 25, 2023

FMR made progress on every single one of its priorities this legislative session. Here's a roundup of everything that happened. Read more

Minnesota takes a giant leap toward clean drinking water for all

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May 15, 2023

An estimated 100,000-plus lead service lines are still in use in Minnesota. This bill will help replace a significant percentage of them. Read more

A hand holding a glass up to a running faucet. Water is filling the glass.

FMR joins environmental group's petition for clean drinking water in SE Minnesota

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May 2, 2023

Nitrate levels in private and public wells are endangering drinking water for southeastern Minnesotans. We've signed on to a petition to urge the EPA to take action. Read more