Cottage Grove, MN Water Quality (ZIP 55016)

EPA-tested PFAS, lead, and regulated contaminants for ZIP 55016 in Cottage Grove, MN, served by Cottage Grove.

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 55016 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 55016's water at an average of 3.39 ppt across 4 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 55016? Match the filter to the data: reverse osmosis handles PFAS, lead, and arsenic together; NSF-53 pitchers cover the taps you drink from. A basic Brita pitcher will not remove PFAS.

ZIP 55016 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water system serving ZIP 55016 (Cottage Grove, MN). Monitoring found a peak of 38.1 ppt across 1 system, averaging 3.39 ppt over 4 detected compounds.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 55016

  • PFHXS: 38.1 ppt (exceeds the EPA 10 ppt limit)
  • PFOA: 27.8 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
  • PFBA: 0.22 ppt
  • PFPEA: 0.01 ppt

Lead in ZIP 55016 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 5 lead samples for the system serving 55016, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.006 mg/L (within the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

About the Data

These figures come from EPA UCMR5 (2023-2025) plus Lead and Copper Rule and SDWIS records for the public water system serving ZIP 55016. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history.

Beyond water: other exposures in Cottage Grove, MN

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 55016 and Washington County, MN.

Radon risk in Washington County, MN

The EPA places Washington County, MN in Zone 1 - the EPA's highest-risk category, where the predicted average indoor radon level is above 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict the radon potential of an area from geology and existing indoor readings - they do not describe any individual home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and the only way to know your own level is a test kit.

Lead paint risk in Washington County, MN

Census figures show 33% of homes in Washington County, MN were built before 1980, and 8% before 1950. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so older housing stock is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This is a statistic about the county's housing, not a test of any particular property - if your home predates 1980, a lead swab test is the way to check.

Air quality in Washington County, MN

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Washington County, MN averages 6.4 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual PM2.5 standard of 9 µg/m³. PM2.5 is the pollution fraction small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These are CDC modelled estimates for the county as a whole, not a reading taken at this ZIP code.

Industrial releases near 55016

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 3 reporting facilities within about five miles of 55016, together reporting roughly 1,033,985 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.