Reports and Geospatial Data
Source Water Protection

Research reports on source waters

The Source Water Protection Program engages in research activities that assess potential threats to drinking water sources. For more information on any of these reports, contact health.drinkingwater@state.mn.us.

MN Source Water Protection Tracking Program

Data request forms

Minnesota’s Source Water Protection unit collects and creates data specific to protecting the water resources that supply drinking water to communities in the state.  A variety of spatial data can be accessed through the MN geospatial commons. 

Custom data requests will be answered and filled in the order in which they are received, with priority given to requestors from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Legislature, other state agencies, local governments, community health service agencies, consultants, and public media. These requestors will not be charged for completion of their data request. 

Most of the Source Water Protection data are public but some are nonpublic so access may be restricted.

Online form to request data can be accessed below.

• Data Request Form

Contaminants found in source waters

Pathogens

• Pathogen Project: Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) conducted a study on the sources, pathways, and timing of pathogen contamination in groundwater relative to groundwater recharge events.
  • Recharge Monitoring Study - Final Report (PDF)
  • Recharge Monitoring Study - Executive Summary (PDF)

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)

• Drinking Water Ambient Monitoring Program: Permanent, ongoing monitoring for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and other priority contaminants in drinking water sources across the state.
• Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Project: MDH partnered with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on a project to test for CECs in drinking water sources across the state. 
  • Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Project - Data Summary Report (PDF)
  • Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Project - Project Summary (PDF)

Chloride

• Chloride and Centralized Softening (PDF): a summary of chloride and centralized softening considerations from a drinking water perspective, based on existing MDH data
• Impacts of Stormwater Infiltration on Chloride in Minnesota Groundwater (PDF): a Minnesota Ground Water Association (MGWA) white paper that characterizes chloride sources for stormwater, estimates chloride loading, and recommends stormwater strategies

Manganese

• Manganese in Minnesota's Groundwaters (PDF): a MGWA white paper that includes an assessment of the pattern of manganese in groundwater based on existing data sources
• Initial Assessment of Manganese in Minnesota Groundwater (PDF): a technical memo from MDH summarizing the occurrence of manganese in groundwater across the state

Radionuclides

• Distribution of Radium in Minnesota Drinking Water Aquifers (PDF): radium distribution based on MDH sampling results and other data sources, primarily the 1992 Minnesota Geological Survey report Radium in the Mt. Simon-Hinckley Aquifer, East-Central and Southeastern Minnesota

Nitrate

• Nitrate-Nitrogen Risk Ranking Methods and Results (PDF): methodology to develop the nitrate risk to the water table raster dataset and results at the county level
• Southeast Minnesota Voluntary Nitrate Monitoring Network (PDF): MDH contributions to the 2009 Volunteer Nitrate Monitoring Network Report
• Volunteer Nitrate Monitoring Network: Methods and Results (PDF): methodology for the first six rounds of the Volunteer Nitrate Monitoring Network study sampling
• Southeast Minnesota Domestic Well Network 2016 Data Report (PDF): the latest data and activities involving groundwater sampling and analysis from a subset of wells in the Southeast Minnesota Domestic Well Network

Aquifer tests

• Analysis of the Cromwell, Minnesota Well 4 (593593) Aquifer Test (PDF)
• Analysis of the Litchfield, Minnesota Well 2 (607420) Aquifer Test (PDF)

Geospatial data files

Source water protection areas, including Drinking Water Supply Management Areas (DWSMAs) and their vulnerability, can be viewed on our interactive web map viewer. Shapefiles for these areas can be downloaded through the links below.

• DWSMAs - Groundwater Shapefile
• DWSMAs - Surface Water Shapefile
• DWSMAs - Vulnerability Shapefile
• Wellhead Protection Area Shapefile
• Hydrogeologic Sensitivity Raster Shapefile
• Nitrate Risk Raster Shapefile
• Source Water Assessment Area Groundwater Shapefile
• Source Water Assessment Area | Surface Water Shapefile
• Special Well and Boring Construction Area Shapefile

Maps are available as PDFs upon request. Call 651-201-4700 or send an email to health.drinkingwater@state.mn.us to request a map in PDF form.