Ramsey County, Minnesota: drinking water report. Ramsey County – St. Paul and its immediate suburbs – serves about 550,000 residents.
Ramsey County – St. Paul and its immediate suburbs – serves about 550,000 residents. Saint Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) draws from the Mississippi River at a point above most of the Twin Cities metro area, supplemented by a chain of lakes in the northeast metro. Suburban communities like Roseville and Maplewood operate independent groundwater systems or purchase water from SPRWS.
Minnesota's PFAS problem is concentrated in the east metro – and Ramsey County is at the center of it. 3M's Cottage Grove manufacturing facility discharged PFAS into the environment for decades, contaminating the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer across a wide area. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the east metro PFAS contamination plume affects groundwater serving an estimated 140,000 residents across Ramsey and Washington counties.
SPRWS's Mississippi River intake is upstream of most contamination sources, but some Ramsey County communities on groundwater have recorded PFAS levels well above state health-based guidance values. Minnesota monitors 15 PFAS compounds – more than almost any other state – giving residents an unusually detailed picture of exposure.
Whether you drink Mississippi River water from SPRWS or groundwater from a suburban system makes a significant difference in your PFAS exposure.
Check your water to identify your source and see current monitoring data. For groundwater communities with elevated PFAS, reverse osmosis is the most effective household treatment. Our water filter guide covers certified systems. Pull your detailed report, and visit our Minnesota page for statewide context.