Source Water Protection (SWP)
- SWP Home
- Protecting Drinking Water Sources
- SWP Requirements and Recommendations
- SWP Grants
- Groundwater Protection Initiative - Accelerated Implementation Grant
- SWP Awards
- Laws and Rules
- SWP Web Map Viewer
- Surface Water Program
- SWP Reports and Data
- SWP Implementation Resources
- Source Water Assessments
- Stories from the Source
Related Topics
- Water: Business and Government
- Drinking Water Information for Consumers
- Water Testing and Data Reports
- Minnesota Well Index
- Clean Water Fund
Environmental Health Division
Source Water Protection
People in Minnesota get their drinking water from groundwater, lakes, and rivers. MDH works with communities to protect the water resources that supply their drinking water. Communities work to identify risks and prevent them from becoming a problem. Some examples of risks include unused wells, urban pollutants, agricultural nutrients, storage tanks, lawn nutrients and chemicals, hazardous waste, and uncontrolled land development.
Source Water Protection Unit Contacts and Districts (PDF).
Protecting Drinking Water Sources in Minnesota
- About the reach, scope, and impact of source water protection in Minnesota.
Requirements and Recommendations for Public Water Suppliers
- Information about the inner wellhead management zone, wellhead protection plans, and surface water intake plans.
Source Water Protection Grants
- Made available by the Clean Water Fund for well sealing and construction, public education, improving security, and other source water protection activities.
Source Water Protection Awards
- Recognizing public water suppliers who demonstrate outstanding commitment to protecting their drinking water source.
Laws and Rules
- Links to laws and rules governing source water protection in Minnesota.
SWP Web Map Viewer
- Interactive map showing source water protection areas in Minnesota.
Surface Water Program
- About planning and protection activities for surface water systems.
Reports and Geospatial Data
- MDH reports on contaminants found in source water and geospatial data (shapefiles and raster datasets).
Resources for Source Water Protection Implementation
- Information about grants and other funding, templates for community education and outreach, and links to helpful partners.
Source Water Assessments
- Contact information, where the water comes from, threats to the water source, protection activities, treatment that occurs, and finished water quality.
Groundwater Restoration and Protection Strategies (GRAPS)
- Packaging watershed scale groundwater and drinking water information and management strategies for local governments.
Stories from the Source
- Stories from Source Water Protection.
Of interest
Interactive Dashboard for Source Water Protection Grants
Story Map: Protecting Vulnerable Drinking Water Sources in Minnesota
Last Updated: 02/26/2025