Posting Date: Jan. 21, 2026

PUBLIC NOTICE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Información importante.  Si no la entiende, haga que alguien se la traduzca ahora.

Elevated Combined Radium and Gross Alpha Levels Were Detected in Inver Grove Heights Drinking Water

The City of Inver Grove Heights, in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), monitors its public water system for the presence of drinking water contaminants on a quarterly basis. The City was informed by the MDH that the most recent test samples, taken on October 29, 2025, show that the annual average level of combined radium—types 226 and 228—at the Inver Grove Heights Water Treatment Plant was 2.9 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L), which is below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 5.4 pCi/L. The annual average level of gross alpha radiation detected in the same sample shows that the annual average level of gross alpha radiation was 13.1 pCi/L, which is below the MCL for gross alpha of 15.4 pCi/L.  

What this Means

 Radium and gross alpha radiation occur naturally within air, water and ground water sources. Radium is common in the St. Peter-Prairie Du Chien-Jordan aquifer, which is the groundwater aquifer that Inver Grove Heights and most communities in Dakota County draw their groundwater from. The City treats groundwater for a variety of contaminants, including radium and gross alpha radiation.  

The City takes this matter seriously and is acting urgently to mitigate this issue. However, this is not an emergency. You do not need an alternative source of water (such as bottled water), nor do you need to boil water before use. People with specific health concerns are encouraged to consult their doctor or health care provider. Residents with questions about the effectiveness of their home water treatment systems in filtering radium should consult with the system manufacturer or installation company.

 Achieving MDH Compliance

 While testing results may fluctuate for both radium and gross alpha radiation above or below the MCL, the City continues to work with the MDH to ensure treatment methods are addressing drinking water safety requirements. The City’s water system remains out of compliance with MDH standards due to both the current and previous samples that triggered violations for gross alpha radiation and radium concentrations, respectively. The City entered into an Amended Compliance Agreement with the MDH in May, 2025, updating the original Compliance Agreement that was adopted in July, 2023. These agreements indicate the steps the City will take to make long-term improvements to the Water Treatment Plant, and bring the overall system into compliance for radium concentrations below the MCL.

 Work on the water treatment facility has been ongoing since the beginning of 2025, with the first set of new water filters anticipated to be brought online by the end of May 2025. The remaining filters will be upgraded in the fall of 2025, with the full water treatment facility rehabilitation completed by the first quarter of 2026.

More Resources and Information Available

A previous Public Notice mailed to water customers on February 15, 2023, identified the steps the City has taken to address the elevated radium levels in the City’s drinking water. The City continues to provide updates on testing results and water treatment plant improvements at the following website:

 www.ighmn.gov/waternotice

For more information, please visit this website, or contact the City of IGH at:

Email:                         water@ighmn.gov

Phone:                        651-450-4309

Mail:                            City of Inver Grove Heights

                                    c/o Utility Superintendent

                                    8150 Barbara Avenue

                                    Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077

Click here to read the notification to the City from the Minnesota Department of Health dated Jan. 12, 2026.