Clean Water for Cottage Grove

In February 2018, the State of Minnesota settled its lawsuit against the 3M Company involving drinking water contamination in the East Metro that has resulted from PFAS chemicals. The settlement included funding for infrastructure projects for 14 East Metro communities, including the City of Cottage Grove to mitigate the PFAS contamination in the City’s water supply wells.

As a result of state agencies, citizens, stakeholders, and technical experts from each of the affected communities working together since 2018, a comprehensive set of recommended options was drafted and the final plan to mitigate the PFAS contamination was officially released on August 18, 2021.

Learn more on our interactive website:

Clean Water for Cottage Grove - Click to View

The City of Cottage Grove will receive $91 million through the settlement agreement that will fund a long-term water supply and treatment plan. The resulting solution includes two new water treatment plants, a new public well, new water mains, and connections for homes currently served by private wells.

The City of Cottage Grove has already completed several projects to address the City’s drinking water issues since May of 2017, to ensure safe drinking water is supplied to the community:

  • Two interim water treatment plants were constructed in 2017, the costs of which were reimbursed by the state.
  • In 2019, a Pilot Study to evaluate new and more cost-effective treatment options was initiated and was completed in fall of 2021.
  • In 2020, the City constructed a third temporary water treatment plant utilizing additional funding from the state.
  • In 2020, water mains were extended to the River Acres and Granada neighborhoods, and approximately 160 homes were connected to the City’s system that was previously served by individual wells, funded by advanced funding from the settlement agreement.
  • In 2022, water mains were extended to the Goodview Neighborhood, connecting 23 homes to the city's system.  Raw water transmission 

    lines were extended from well #10 southerly towards the Low Zone Water Treatment Plant site.

  • In 2023, the city constructed two additional interim treatment plants utilizing additional funding from the State.

Going forward, Cottage Grove’s projects funded by the 3M Settlement Agreement include two permanent water treatment plants, construction of additional raw water transmission lines (to convey the water from the wells directly to the treatment plants) and a new well to replace two existing wells that are contaminated with PFAS, among other items that support this significant effort.

In fall of 2022, the City started the planning and pre-design work for the permanent water treatment plant that will be located in the southwest area of the City, at the northeast corner of Ideal Avenue South and 110th Street South. This project includes the construction of a new public well, Well #13. Bids were received in July 2023 and the project was awarded on August 2, 2023. The project is scheduled to start construction in fall of 2023.

Pre-planning and design is in process for the second permanent water treatment plant that will be located on the property by the water towers behind the Central Fire Station on 80th Street. Raw water transmission lines will be constructed as part of this project.

More detailed information on the City’s water treatment plan can be found through Cottage Grove's dedicated community page on the 3M Settlement Agreement website.

PFAS plumes
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Ongoing Clean Water for Cottage Grove Projects