Is Albert Lea, MN tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 2 utilities serving Albert Lea have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Minnesota’s records: Albert Lea and St. John'S Lutheran Community.
Albert Lea, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the action level, 1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Copper at 1.8 ppm, above the action level.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Albert Lea’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Albert Lea
Minnesota · serves 18,492 people · about 1,500 in Albert Lea
1 result above the action level, 1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Copper at 1.8 ppm, above the action level.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
St. John'S Lutheran Community
Minnesota · serves 228 people · under 100 in Albert Lea
1 result above the action level. The worst: Copper at 2.1 ppm, above the action level.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Albert Lea’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
LifeStraw Home 7-Cup Glass Water Filter Pitcher
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
Water testing near Albert Lea
The 3 labs Minnesota certifies closest to Albert Lea, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
UC Laboratory
Janesville, MN · about 36 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, metals
Southeastern Minnesota Water Analysis Laboratory
Rochester, MN · about 50 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Fillmore SWCD Water Quality Laboratory
Preston, MN · about 60 miles
Certified for bacteria
ZIP codes in Albert Lea
Which ZIP codes are in Albert Lea: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Minnesota Department of Health, accredited labs in Minnesota accepting drinking water samples from private well users; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Albert Lea
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Albert Lea’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- About CopperWhat it does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.About Copper
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water