The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (MPFA) announced $88.6 million in loans and grants supporting 12 wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects in nine cities. A significant share of the package focuses on replacing nearly 4,000 lead service lines with copper in three communities, alongside broader system upgrades intended to modernize aging assets and protect public health.
The funded work spans multiple needs: lead service line replacement, sanitary sewer rehabilitation, watermain upgrades, treatment plant improvements, and new filtration systems designed to address naturally occurring manganese and iron in local supplies. Recipient communities range from major urban utilities to smaller systems, including Saint Paul and towns such as Amboy, Elbow Lake, Marble, and Scandia, reflecting an emphasis on aiding both larger and rural systems that face resource constraints.
Most of the financing comes from the state’s Clean Water Revolving Fund and Drinking Water Revolving Fund. Additional support is provided through the Point Source Implementation Grant program, the Water Infrastructure Fund, and the Small Community Wastewater Treatment Program, blending low-cost financing with grant dollars to move priority projects forward.
Since its establishment in 1987, the MPFA has directed close to $7.7 billion toward public infrastructure programs statewide, reaching nearly every community in Minnesota. The authority’s role includes channeling state and federal resources to local utilities to address system reliability, regulatory compliance, and long-term service needs.
Three projects account for more than three quarters of this round’s total funding:
- Saint Paul, $41,940,000. Two projects will replace a combined 2,160 lead service lines with copper piping, representing the largest single commitment to lead pipe removal in this announcement.
- Duluth, $22,075,911. Two projects fund replacement of 704 lead service lines with copper piping, reimbursing construction work already completed by the city.
- Sacred Heart, $7,514,281. The award covers an upgrade to the water treatment plant’s salt softening system and an expansion of the biosolids storage facility to increase handling capacity.
The announcement emphasized the public health and environmental protection benefits of the investments and noted that reliable, clean drinking water supports long-term economic growth across the state. Beyond the highlighted awards, the remaining projects address locally identified priorities such as distribution system improvements, treatment reliability, and wastewater capacity.
