PFAS above EPA’s limits in Minnesota.
The short answer
10 utilities serving 270,387 people, as they report it, had a location averaging above a limit, most often PFOS (8) and PFOA (7). The largest is Brooklyn Park, whose highest PFOA average was 10 ppt, 2.5 times the limit. The furthest above is Hastings, at 5.3 times the PFOA limit.
These are EPA’s survey results, not violations: the limits take effect April 26, 2029, and compliance will rest on each utility’s own monitoring. EPA has proposed changes to the rule; as of Oct. 13, 2026, none is final.
Utilities above a limit
Largest first. Each one’s highest location average is for the limit it is furthest above, with the single highest sample of the same PFAS; its report has every result.
| Utility | Based in | Serves | Above | Highest location average | Highest single sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Park | Brooklyn Park | 89,995 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 10 ppt2.5 times the limit | 11 ppt |
| Woodbury | Woodbury | 82,643 | PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, Hazard Index | PFOA 13 ppt3.2 times the limit | 17 ppt |
| Hastings | Hastings | 23,222 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 21 ppt5.3 times the limit | 24 ppt |
| Stillwater | Stillwater | 19,462 | PFOS | PFOS 7.5 ppt1.9 times the limit | 8.1 ppt |
| Sauk Rapids | Sauk Rapids | 13,835 | PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, Hazard Index | Hazard Index 3.233.2 times the limit | — |
| Cloquet | Cloquet | 12,864 | PFOS | PFOS 8.1 ppttwice the limit | 8.4 ppt |
| Lake Elmo | Lake Elmo | 10,978 | PFOA | PFOA 11 ppt2.6 times the limit | 12 ppt |
| Waite Park | Waite Park | 8,354 | PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, Hazard Index | PFOS 17 ppt4.1 times the limit | 18 ppt |
| Becker | Becker | 5,034 | PFOS | PFOS 4.5 ppt1.1 times the limit | 4.6 ppt |
| Newport | Newport | 4,000 | PFOA | PFOA 6.2 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.9 ppt |
6 more utilities in Minnesota had a single sample above a limit but no location average above, so they are not listed; each report shows the sample.
Results: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026, samples from Jan. 3, 2023 to June 17, 2026, averaged by sampling location as EPA’s final UCMR 5 data summary does. Every state, and the full data as a CSV; how this list is made. People served is what each utility reports.
Where to go next
- Brooklyn Park’s reportEvery PFAS result with its dates, and the certification claim that handles each.Open the report
- Every stateThe national list, the largest utilities above a limit, and the data to download.PFAS above EPA’s limits
- Filters certified for PFASRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.Best water filters for PFAS