Sauk Rapids Joins Class Action Lawsuit Over PFAS

SAUK RAPIDS (WJON News) -- The Sauk Rapids City Council has voted to join a class action lawsuit over contaminants found in the well water.

The Minnesota Department of Health recently found that the city's water system is having issues with per and polyfluoroakly substances - also known as PFAS.

The city has joined a lawsuit with the Minnesota Rural Water Association and the National Rural Water Association.  City Administrator Ross Olson says they haven't found one single source of the contamination.  He says there are over 40 businesses included as defendants in the lawsuit.  He also says a lot of municipalities across the state have joined the lawsuit.

There is no cost for the city to join the lawsuit.  If a settlement is reached, it may not cover the entire costs associated with reducing the PFAS levels in the city's water.

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Olson says right now just well #2 is over the contaminant limit, but he says because the water from that well mixes with the water from another well by the time it gets to the residents it is below the limit.

A test in October of 2022 had well #2 with an HRI of 1.02 with an average of 1.14.  Well #3 had an HRI of 0.38.  Wells four through six were at zero.

The issue is only impacting the low lying side of the city, not the entire city.