Inaugural Minnesota Private Well Forum Produces Toolkit, Resources

On Monday, May 8, 2023, the Minnesota Department of Public Health held a free inaugural Minnesota Private Well Forum. With a goal of working together to overcome safe water barriers for Minnesota’s 1.2 million private wells users, the 6-hour Virtual Forum hosted a diverse audience. The Virtual Forum included both Speaker Sessions and Collaboration Sessions and attendees included labs, licensed well contractors, delegated well programs, soil and water conservation districts, counties, well owners, and private well organizations, among others, including the Private Well Class.

The Minnesota Private Well Forum brought together people across Minnesota, and beyond, who care about private well users, and through their shared effort to ensure safe drinking water, the Forum:

• Shared how attendees are empowering private well users to protect their health;
• Gathered perspectives on barriers to well testing and treatment and possible strategies to overcome them; and
• Identified ways communities, organizations, and agencies can collaborate and create a more supportive system for private well users and next steps.

Additionally, through funding provided by the UMN Institute on the Environment and with a partnership between Minnesota Well Owners Organization and the Center for Changing Landscapes, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, a new Toolkit For Local Governments, “Safe Drinking Water For All Minnesotans” was developed. The Toolkit includes information and resources for well water quality screening clinics, information on groundwater contamination, and study findings based on a 2022 survey of 196 Minnesota well owners in Dakota and Stearns counties.

You can download the Toolkit and additional Resources below:

• Safe Drinking Water For All Minnesotans – A Toolkit For Local Governments
• Links and Resources Presenters Referenced – Minnesota Private Well Forum 2023