Water Utility

In accordance with the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule (63 FR 44511), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires public water systems to provide an annual report describing the quality, treatment, and management of drinking water. The purpose of this report is to provide residents with information needed to understand potential health considerations and the overall quality of their water supply.

Medina’s Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report is based on routine sampling conducted throughout the system, including testing performed by the Minnesota Department of Health. The City is committed to providing safe, reliable drinking water and encourages residents to report any concerns or irregularities.

Medina operates three separate water systems. In addition, limited areas of the City receive water from neighboring communities: the Keller Estates Addition is served by Orono, and the far southwest corner of Medina is served by Maple Plain.

MORNINGSIDE SYSTEM (Accounts beginning with 03)

This system includes two wells and a pressure tank. The Medina Meadows subdivision is connected to the City of Orono’s water system. New homes in this area are served by Orono (Keller Estates), while existing Morningside homes continue to receive water from Medina, now with an interconnection to Orono.

This connection provides system redundancy and allows access to alternative water supplies in the event of an emergency.

INDEPENDENCE BEACH SYSTEM (Accounts beginning with 02)

This system includes two wells and a pressure tank. Due to naturally occurring iron, the City performs routine flushing of water lines on the second Thursday of each month between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Residents are advised to avoid laundry during this time, as temporary discoloration may occur.

If discoloration affects clothing, the following method may be used:

• Mix 4 tablespoons of oxalic acid in 8 gallons of water
• In a separate container, mix 4–5 tablespoons of baking soda in 8 gallons of water
• Soak clothing in the acid solution for 2 minutes (use rubber gloves)
• Transfer to the baking soda solution for 2–3 minutes
• Rinse thoroughly with clean water

Safety Note: Use gloves and keep chemicals away from children and animals.

HAMEL SYSTEM (Accounts beginning with 01)

The Hamel system is the largest in Medina, serving the area from the City of Plymouth on the east to Willow Drive on the west.

The system includes wells 3 through 8, a 400,000-gallon elevated storage tank, and a water treatment plant with 200,000 gallons of storage capacity.

The treatment plant removes iron, manganese, radium, and alpha emitters. Since becoming operational in 2006, the system has remained in compliance with applicable standards.

The Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report is published annually and provides detailed information about Medina’s drinking water quality.

Click HERE to view Medina's 2025 Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report(PDF, 217KB)

Click HERE to view Orono's 2025 Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report(PDF, 326KB)

Click HERE to view Maple Plain's 2025 Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report(PDF, 244KB)

For a printed copy of the Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report, or for any concerns or questions about the water quality, call Public Works at 763-473-8842.

Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Reports - Prior Years

Medina's 2024 Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report(PDF, 238KB)

Medina's 2023 Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report(PDF, 240KB)

A wellhead protection area is defined as the surface and subsurface area surrounding a water well or wellfield, supplying a public water system, through which contaminants are reasonably likely to move toward and reach such water well or wellfield.  The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) required states to develop and obtain EPA approval for wellhead protection programs (WHPP).  The Minnesota Department of Health is authorized to enforce the SDWA by Minnesota Statute. 

Where does my drinking water come from?

Where does your drinking water come from? Is it safe to drink? Is there anything you can do to keep your drinking water safe? These are all important questions to ask to protect yourself and your family.

Seventy percent of the people in Minnesota obtain their drinking water from groundwater, either from private or public wells. Groundwater is pumped from underground geological formations called aquifers. Aquifers contain water in cracks and crevices in bedrock, or in pore spaces between soil particles.

How is water pumped into households?

A well is the most common way to obtain groundwater for household use. A well is basically a hole in the ground, held open by a pipe (casing) that extends to an aquifer. A pump draws untreated water from the aquifer for distribution through the plumbing system.

How do wells potentially contaminate drinking water sources?

Many times, there are layers of rock and soil that lie between an aquifer and the land surface, or between aquifers, which act as natural barriers and protect against the spread of contamination. However, a well provides an open channel between the land surface and an aquifer – or between a shallow aquifer and a deeper aquifer. This open channel (well) may allow contamination to enter aquifers (drinking water supplies) and bypass these protective barriers.

Why is this important?

Properly managing private wells is important because it can keep contamination from entering drinking water supplies. If contamination enters your drinking water it may threaten the quality of your water, your neighbor’s, or the City’s. If contamination levels reach high enough thresholds, it may require the installation of a water treatment system or the drilling of a new well. Both items may cost thousands of dollars.

What can you do to protect your drinking water?

• When landscaping your yard, keep the top of your well at least 1 foot above the soil surface. Slope the soil away from the well casing to allow surface water to drain away from your well.
• Do not pile snow, leaves, or other materials around the well. This will help keep insects, dirt, and other contaminants from entering your well.
• Consider the location of your well when making physical changes to your property. Follow all MN Dept. of Health required setbacks from buildings and potential contaminant sources.
• Hire a licensed well driller to seal unused wells.
• When working near your well, be careful not to disturb or damage the well casing.
• Inspect your well regularly for physical changes or damage. Be sure all well covers and connections are properly attached and in good condition. If damage is detected, contact a licensed well driller to determine steps needed to repair the well.
• Do not mix or work with hazardous chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers, paints or motor oil, near your well.
• Take steps to prevent a cross connection and back-siphonage of materials into your plumbing system and well.

Where can I get additional information?

Click the link below to view Medina's Wellhead Protection Plan:

City of Medina Wellhead Protection Plan(PDF, 7MB)

Learn more by visiting the below websites:

• Minnesota Department of Health - Wells and Borings
• Minnesota Department of Health - Laws and Rules
•  Minnesota Rural Water Association 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) to protect public health and reduce exposure to lead in drinking water.  The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes and brass or bronze faucets and fixtures.  The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), as mandated by the EPA, has recently required water systems to maintain and report an inventory of service line materials.

 Medina has completed and submitted our service line materials inventory to the MDH.

The service line inventory is publicly available, and you can check the materials for your service line by visiting the Lead Inventory Tracking Tool (LITT) at https://maps.umn.edu/LSL/.  You may also contact us in Public Works at 763-473-8842.

As of 10/18/2024, our inventory contains all non-lead service lines.

Learn more about the lead and copper ruling by visiting the following webpages:  

 https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/rules/lcrr.html

https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/lead-and-copper-rule

Click the link to view Medina's 2023 Lead & Copper Test Results(PDF, 4MB)

Click the link to view Medina's Service Line Inventory Certification Notice(PDF, 454KB)

Click the link to view the MN Lead Inventory Tracking Tool

Manganese occurs naturally in rocks and soil across Minnesota and is often found in Minnesota ground and surface water. Your body needs some manganese to stay healthy, but too much can be harmful.  Click the link below to read background information about manganese, as provided by the Minnesota Department of Health:

Manganese In Drinking Water

Medina operates an automatic meter reading system that provides customer water consumption data to the Finance Department for utility billing purposes. Public Works is in the process of performing an upgrade of the water meter reading system, which includes mandatory replacement of outdated radios.  Public Works Staff have been working to swap out radios located on the exterior of homes.

• The project began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2026.
• All technicians are employees of the city, carry identification credentials, and travel in city-marked vehicles.
• For radios which are located on the interior of homes, access will be necessary to install the mandatory upgrade.  The city will contact the residents to arrange an appointment.  The replacement process takes around 15 minutes, and water will not be disrupted.
• There is no cost to residents for this upgrade.