Stearns County, Minnesota: drinking water report. Stearns County in central Minnesota has a population of about 162,000, centered on St. Cloud.
Stearns County in central Minnesota has a population of about 162,000, centered on St. Cloud. The city draws water from the Mississippi River and from deep wells. The county's location in the transition zone between the prairie and the northern forest means water sources are influenced by both agricultural activity to the west and natural organic matter from the north. Camp Ripley, a Minnesota National Guard training center, operates in adjacent Morrison County.
St. Cloud's Mississippi River intake receives water from a watershed that includes the agricultural lands of central Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's 2024 monitoring data, nitrate and phosphorus levels in the Mississippi at St. Cloud have increased over the past decade, reflecting agricultural intensification upstream. The city's treatment plant uses granular activated carbon for taste, odor, and contaminant removal.
The EPA's UCMR5 data shows PFAS detections at low levels in the St. Cloud system. The St. Cloud Regional Airport has used AFFF firefighting foam. A 2024 Minnesota DOH assessment found PFAS in monitoring wells near the airport at concentrations near Minnesota's health-based value of 15 ppt for PFOS.
St. Cloud's treatment plant provides effective multi-barrier treatment, but the river's agricultural loading means source water quality fluctuates with upstream conditions and seasons.
Check your water for current data on your area. For agricultural contaminants and PFAS, a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen tap covers the widest range. Our water filter guide covers options for river-sourced water systems. Pull your detailed report for seasonal data, and visit our Minnesota page for statewide patterns.