Brief · Minnesota · 2026-09-18
Water infrastructure intelligence — Minnesota
2026-09-18 · Clean Water SRF, Drinking Water SRF · $5.5B in tracked project value · list shrank 1,552 → 1,443 (SFY2027)
Minnesota Public Facilities Authority records for September 2026 show the combined Clean Water SRF and Drinking Water SRF priority list at 1,443 projects, down from 1,552 a year earlier, a decline of 109 projects, while the tracked value across the list stands at $5.5B. During the period, 171 projects appeared on the priority list for the first time, worth $1.1B, and 476 projects entered the fundable range, worth $1.8B. Another 511 projects moved onto the intended use plan roster, together valued at $2.1B. The list also recorded 119 cost changes, with 96 estimates rising and 23 falling, for a net change of +$202.9M, while 117 projects no longer appear on the current list.
New WWTP. Est. cost $182.0M.
Treatment - PFAS Removal. Est. cost $99.2M.
Adv trmt - phos, expand treatment. Requested $86.0M.
The most concrete movement this period is the entry of Alexandria LASD and Albert Lea into the fundable range under the Clean Water SRF. Alexandria LASD's advanced treatment and treatment-expansion project, requested at $86.0M, climbed to rank #36, while Albert Lea's phosphorus treatment and rehabilitation project, requested at $80.0M, sits at rank #25. Both fall under the nutrient removal category, and both are now positioned on the funding list rather than merely appearing on it. Separately, MCES Crow River appeared on the priority list for the first time with a new wastewater treatment plant estimated at $182.0M, ranked #52, and Apple Valley was added to the list with a PFAS removal treatment project estimated at $99.2M, ranked #373.
Across the category rollup, watermain and distribution work carries the highest project count at 353, valued at $995.5M, while wastewater treatment carries the highest dollar value at $3.3B across 174 projects. Water treatment follows at $1.6B across 205 projects, and collection and sewer work totals $1.5B across 222 projects. Nutrient removal and regionalization are smaller by count, at 50 and 51 projects respectively, but their combined value of $989.7M and $829.2M shows concentrated spending in fewer, larger projects.
Two drinking water projects climbed in priority rank this period: Cloquet's manganese treatment plant, estimated at $3.1M, moved to rank #59, and Stillwater's PFAS treatment plant, estimated at $11.4M, moved to rank #381. Both are drinking water treatment projects, and both illustrate how rank movement can occur independent of project size.
Minnesota's 2018 settlement with 3M continues to fund a Drinking Water Supply Plan for East Metro communities, covering new or upgraded treatment at six water plants and 33 municipal wells, a commitment that predates this list and runs alongside it. The PFAS-related entries on this period's list, including Apple Valley and Stillwater, sit within that broader pattern of treatment investment tied to emerging contaminants across Minnesota.
Projects the state has flagged as fundable — the closest signal to imminent procurement. Ordered by requested amount.
| Entity | Scope | Program | Requested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria LASD | Adv trmt - phos, expand treatment | CWSRF | $86.0M |
| Albert Lea | Adv trmt - phos, rehab treatment | CWSRF | $80.0M |
| Metropolitan Council | Elec Dist Renew, Ph 3 | CWSRF | $60.0M |
| Duluth | Other-LSL Replacement-2026 | DWSRF | $56.5M |
| Litchfield | Rehab treatment, expand bio capacity | CWSRF | $52.4M |
| Mankato | Rehab trmt, digester and disinfection improvements | CWSRF | $49.4M |
| Western Lake Superior SD | Effluent Filtration Imp | CWSRF | $40.0M |
| Owatonna | Adv trmt - phos, expand treatment | CWSRF | $39.9M |
Projects that climbed materially in the ranking year over year — the least-watched signal in the document.
| Entity | Scope | Program | Rank movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloquet | Treatment - W11 Manganese Plant | DWSRF | #780 → #59 · ▲721 |
| Stillwater | Treatment - PFAS W9 Treatment Plant | DWSRF | #969 → #381 · ▲588 |
| White Bear Township | Treatment - PFAS TP1 Upgrade | DWSRF | #975 → #390 · ▲585 |
| Little Falls | Watermain - 1st Street Improvements | DWSRF | #448 → #50 · ▲398 |
| Lamberton | Source - New Well, Rehab Well 1 | DWSRF | #793 → #488 · ▲305 |
| Lamberton | Treatment - New Plant | DWSRF | #791 → #487 · ▲304 |
| Granada | Rehab treatment, add pond | CWSRF | #275 → #27 · ▲248 |
| Henderson | Treatment - New Iron Removal Plant | DWSRF | #740 → #513 · ▲227 |
| Watkins | Storage - New 50,000 Gal Tower | DWSRF | #845 → #653 · ▲192 |
| Ghent | Watermain - Replacement Phase 1 | DWSRF | #693 → #505 · ▲188 |
| Aitkin | Rehab treatment | CWSRF | #273 → #130 · ▲143 |
| Clara City | Rehab collection and treatment | CWSRF | #225 → #113 · ▲112 |
Projects seeking SRF financing — not every municipal water or wastewater project in Minnesota. Source: Minnesota Public Facilities Authority — Clean Water SRF, Drinking Water SRF (IUP/PPL). Stages are labeled precisely; "no longer listed" does not assert an outcome.