IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Updated September 25, 2023: Quarterly Minnesota Department of Health Tests Show Modest Increase in Radium Concentrations.  

The City’s latest tests of water at the Inver Grove Heights Water Treatment Plant show a modest increase in the recent radium levels over previous tests taken this spring.  Water samples taken on June 20, 2023, by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as part of the 2023 first quarter testing cycle for the City resulted in a combined radium reading of 6.2 picoCuries per Liter (pCi/L). The test brings the City’s rolling annual average for combined radium up to 5.4 pCi/L, which falls at the 5.4 pCi/L maximum contaminant level allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency.  

A copy of the official MDH notification letter is provided at the link below.  The City’s water system remains out of compliance with MDH standards for radium concentration, until long-term improvements are completed at the City’s Water Treatment Plant.   The City entered into a Compliance Agreement with the MDH in July, 2023, indicating the steps the City will take to make these improvements, and bring the overall system into compliance for radium concentrations below the MCL. City staff continue to work with representatives of the MDH to perform quarterly sampling and testing and ensure that the previously implemented chemical treatment and filtration modifications continue to show effectiveness until the anticipated Water Treatment Plant rehabilitation and filter replacement project is completed in early 2025.  

City water remains safe to drink, unless you have been otherwise advised by a medical provider based on your individual health status. For more answers to frequently asked questions regarding radium in drinking water, click here.

Updated August 16, 2023: Water Treatment Facility Improvement Design Update.

At the City Council meeting on August 14, the City Council accepted a preliminary design report, and authorized the final design to proceed for the first phase of the IGH Water Treatment Facility Rehabilitation (City Project No. 2023-03). The proposed cost of the first phase of improvements was estimated at $5.2 million, with an additional $1.8 million in future building and mechanical system improvement recommendations. 

The start of construction for the proposed first phase of improvements has been shifted from early 2024 to fall 2024. This shift is due to the anticipated ordering schedule for several key components, which requires six months or more of lead time from bidding to project delivery. The shift in schedule will allow the City the opportunity to solicit material alternatives for some key treatment plant improvements, allowing for more competitive bids while also ensuring that all funding options for the project are fully explored.

Updated May 11, 2023: Quarterly Minnesota Department of Health Tests Show Drop in Radium Concentrations.  

The City’s latest tests of water at the Inver Grove Heights Water Treatment Plant show a marked drop in radium levels over previous tests.  Water samples taken on March 22, 2023, by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as part of the 2023 first quarter testing cycle for the City resulted in a combined radium reading of 4.4 picoCuries per Liter (pCi/L). As this was an official quarterly test taken by the MDH for reporting purposes, the test brings the City’s rolling annual average for combined radium down to 5.1 pCi/L, which falls below the 5.4 pCi/L maximum contaminant level allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency.  

A copy of the official MDH notification letter is provided at the link below. City staff continue to work with representatives of the MDH to perform regular sampling and testing, and ensure that the previously implemented chemical treatment and filtration modifications continue to show effectiveness until the anticipated Water Treatment Plant rehabilitation and filter replacement project is completed in early 2025.

City water remains safe to drink, unless you have been otherwise advised by a medical provider based on your individual health status. For more answers to frequently asked questions regarding radium in drinking water, click here.

April 27, 2023: Contract awarded for IGH Water Treatment Facility Rehabilitation Project Design. 

At the City Council meeting on April 24, Council approved a proposal to award Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. with a contract for a preliminary design report and phase 1 final design for Water Treatment Plant Rehabilitation (City Project No. 2023-03) and authorized expenditures related to the project. The construction phase of the project is expected to begin in 2024.

March 23, 2023: Latest tests for radium show mixed results. 

After elevated levels of radium were detected and reported in City of Inver Grove Heights drinking water earlier this year, the City has been engaged in more frequent testing of water samples. The City’s latest tests of water at the Inver Grove Heights Water Treatment Plant show mixed results in lowering radium levels. Water samples drawn January 23, 2023, and sent to an independent laboratory yielded a reading of 4.5 picoCuries per Liter (pCi/L), which is lower than previous readings and below the 5.4 pCi/L maximum contaminant level allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

However, water samples drawn February 9, 2023, by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) yielded a reading of 6.0 pCi/L. This newer MDH reading echoes a previous individual test result from October 2022, which yielded a reading of 5.7 pCi/L, but which also triggered a notification by MDH, because the City’s rolling quarterly average radium reading reached 6.0 pCi/L at that time. 

City staff are working with representatives of the MDH to better understand the difference between the MDH and independent laboratory results and run additional tests if needed. With this in mind, new water samples were drawn on March 22, 2023, and sent to both the MDH and to an independent laboratory. Results of these tests are expected in six to eight weeks and will be reported on this webpage. The City is also taking the necessary steps to design, collect bids for and implement a filter replacement project and other associated improvements at the water treatment plant to address the issue of radium removal on a long-term basis. 

City water remains safe to drink, unless you have been otherwise advised by a medical provider based on your individual health status. For more answers to frequently asked questions regarding radium in drinking water, click here.

February 15, 2023: Water Notice

On January 30, 2023, the City was informed by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) that the most recent test samples, taken on October 10, 2022, show that the level of combined radium—types 226 and 228—at the Inver Grove Heights Water Treatment Plant was 6.0 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L). This result is above the allowable drinking water standard for radium, or Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), of 5.4 pCi/L. 

Questions? Please contact the City Utilities Division at 651-450-4309, or email us at water@ighmn.gov.

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