Governor highlights the importance of access to clean, reliable water for all Minnesotans

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today proclaimed Wednesday, May 2, 2018 to be “Water Action Day” in Minnesota. The Governor’s proclamation highlights the importance of clean, healthy water for all Minnesotans across the state, and reiterates the state’s continued need for clean water funding.

“Without concrete, measurable action, the quality of our water will continue to decline,” said Governor Dayton. “I ask all Minnesotans to join me in finding solutions that will ensure our children and grandchildren inherit clean water to drink, swim, and fish in. This is everyone’s challenge, and everyone’s responsibility.”

In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesotans expect clean, affordable water, no matter where they live. But over 40 percent of Minnesota’s waters are currently listed as impaired or polluted. The federal government estimates that Minnesota communities will need a totaled $11 billion in water infrastructure over the next two decades to maintain and improve our water treatment facilities.

“Clean water is essential to healthy fish and wildlife populations and, in turn, essential to supporting our recreation and tourism economy,” said Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “Minnesotans deserve and demand clean water and the ecosystems that are supported by it.” 

“One of the greatest assets our Twin Cities region has is its water – the lakes and rivers, the streams and aquifers, and more,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff. “It is an essential resource that plays a role in our quality of life, livability, and economic competitiveness. We all have a responsibility to ensure that the regional water supply is sustainable now and into the future. Whether you live in the region or not, water knows no boundaries. I’m proud of the role we play in treating the region’s wastewater and keeping it affordable and accessible to all.”

A copy of the Governor's official proclamation can be found here. 

Clean Water in Governor Dayton’s Budget for a Better Minnesota

This session, Governor Dayton has proposed to invest $167 million in our water treatment infrastructure and $30 million in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. This investment would protect our water resources, protecting them for future generations of Minnesotans. To learn more about how Governor Dayton’s Public Works proposal would invest in clean, affordable water for Minnesotans, CLICK HERE. To see a list of clean water infrastructure projects that could be funded as a result of the Governor’s Public Works proposal, CLICK HERE. 

In addition to the clean water investments included in the Public Works proposal, the Governor’s Budget for a Better Minnesota also includes $25.7 million in needed investment through the Clean Water Fund. These clean water projects were recommended by the state’s Clean Water Council and include grants to: protect and improve the quality of our drinking water; support locally led implementation of management of our state’s watersheds; fund needed clean water research; and conserve Minnesota’s working forest lands to meet the state’s future recreation, economic, and ecological needs.
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Governor Dayton has also proposed the bipartisan Well Water Awareness Act, which would require an inexpensive water quality test for private wells to ensure Minnesota homebuyers know whether their water is free from pollutants like nitrates, arsenic, and bacteria, or if they should install a treatment system. This proposal would give new homeowners peace of mind that the water they and their family will be drinking is safe and clean.

Efforts Underway to Protect Clean Water in Minnesota

In 2017, Governor Dayton worked with the Minnesota Legislature to secure $105.7 million in new funding for local water infrastructure projects through the public works bill. This funding included $88.7 million for grant programs aimed at improving infrastructure for drinking water, wastewater, and clean water in communities across Minnesota.

Between July and October 2017, Governor Dayton and state agency leaders traveled throughout the state to hear from Minnesotans about their ideas to protect and improve water quality in Minnesota communities. At these Water Quality Town Hall Meetings, the Governor and members of his Administration talked with Minnesotans about the “25 by 25” Water Quality Goal and other ideas to ensure all Minnesotans have access to clean, reliable, affordable water, no matter where they live.