Robbinsdale officials seek cause of elevated levels of PFAS in city's drinking water

A Twin Cities town is trying to get to the bottom of a mystery with its drinking water. 

Crews contracted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are drilling deep into the ground in Robbinsdale to find the source of a concerning chemical.

The city's water supply slightly exceeds the federal limit for PFAS, a forever chemical found in common household items like nonstick pans. The standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency require no more than 4 parts per trillion of PFAS in a public water supply. Robbinsdale's water tested at an average of 6 ppt, according to a 2025 report.

But before the city can fix the problem, it needs to figure out where the PFAS is coming from.

"It is a bit of a mystery. Firefighting foam could well be one of the potential sources of this material," said Richard McCoy, the city's Public Works director. "Dry cleaners back in the day tended to have the bad habit of just dumping their stuff on the ground, and no doubt that contained PFAS as well."

The drill will go into the ground more than 300 feet, but not in one fell swoop. McCoy said it stops at different depths along the way, takes water samples, then keeps going.

"The drinking water wells for the city are actually deeper than that. They're 400 feet. So, by testing the waters as they go down to about 300 feet, there might be different levels of PFAS in different layers under the ground," he said.  

There are three drill sites in Robbinsdale. One was at Triangle Park. The second, where crews were working Friday, is on the west side of Crystal Lake along Lakeland Avenue. The third will be at South Halifax Park. They'll also take samples from a few ponds.

The state agency said some residents who rely on private wells for drinking water will be contacted for well testing this summer.

Robbinsdale is one of 20 community water systems in the state that require treatment for PFAS to meet federal guidelines, according to the agency. The deadline to be in compliance is 2029.

McCoy wants residents in town to know that the water is safe to drink. 

"And know that the city is working to make sure that we remain in compliance with the deadlines that the PCA and EPA have set," he said.

The drilling in Robbinsdale will continue throughout the month. Once finished, the agency said it could take at least about six months to analyze the data.

For more information on how the city is addressing the water issue, click here.