Rochester Public Utilities | Blog

Rochester continues to provide safe drinking water

Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) continues to provide safe drinking water for Rochester residents to drink and use.

In response to recent news reports regarding water quality, RPU would like to share pertinent facts regarding the Rochester water system.

  • Rochester’s water source is from the Jordan groundwater aquifer, which is historically of high quality and lead-free.

o    RPU continues to meet all state and federal drinking water health standards.

  • The main source of lead in drinking water is older water service lines and household plumbing.

o    RPU adds polyphosphate at the wellheads for corrosion control, by coating water service lines and household plumbing to prevent the leaching of lead into drinking water.

  • RPU collects and tests water samples from inside 50 homes every three years to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act.

o    RPU has never exceeded the 90th percentile action level limit of 15 ppb (parts per billion). The 90th percentile is the value required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

o    RPU’s 2014 Water Quality Report, as required by the Minnesota Department of Health, measured 6.4 ppb of lead.

  • Current water sustainability studies have shown the Jordan aquifer in Rochester will provide a high quality, long-term source of supply for future generations.

o    A sustainable source allows RPU to continue its proven treatment methods.

 

For more information visit the RPU website www.rpu.org.

 

About Rochester Public Utilities

As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 50,000 customers.  Water customers number more than 39,000.  RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive.  Current initiatives include fuel cell research, wind power, and photovoltaic offerings.

 

 

 

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