What is Really in your Minneapolis Drinking Water?

How much do you really know about the water you use daily? After compiling a few facts we’ve come up with a synopsis of what you need to know. The origins of Minneapolis drinking water start at the Mississippi River. The water is drawn from surface water from the Mississippi River, which provides an average of 21 billion gallons of water per year. It’s the largest water supply system in the Upper Midwest.

Unfortunately, surface water is prone to algae growth and decaying organic material. Minneapolis locals all know that in the Spring the area can start to smell fishy/swampy. That smell is caused from algae blooms and decaying aquatic plants.

The heavy rain and melting snow in the winter can wash chemicals and pesticides into the river, and 99 rural Minnesota communities still release sewage into lakes and streams because of their lack of funds for infrastructure improvements.

The Mississippi River is a rather dirty water source and contains moderate levels of hard water minerals and iron. Chlorine and ammonia are added for disinfection, this is what gives the water a swimming pool taste. The water moves through a water filtration plant that filters, disinfects, and adds fluoride before it is pumped to local faucets.

There are around 1,000 miles of unlined cast iron pipe and the water mains are 80-100 years old, averaging 1 water main break per week.

Periodic flushing takes place to prevent “Minneapolis Muddy Waters.” Minneapolis is now upgrading 10 miles of pipe each year to overcome the color discoloration in the water from the iron and sediment build up in old pipes, making it a 100-year project.

Consuming hard water won’t harm you, but it can lead to some household annoyances such as:

• Stiff as a board laundry
• Soap scum buildup
• Dry skin
• Lifeless hair
• Spotty, cloudy, and streaky glassware
• Limescale buildup on sinks, fixtures, and appliances.

A great way to combat these issues head on is to install a water filtration system. Water filtration removes impurities from water. After filtration water will taste better, smell better, and chlorine and bacterial contaminants will be reduced.