Moorhead Public Service (MPS) is committed to providing drinking water of high quality and sufficient quantity to our customers. In 2009, Moorhead was voted to have the best tasting drinking water in the state of Minnesota—winning "The Best in Glass" award at the annual conference for the Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in September 2009. Moorhead’s great tasting water is the result of MPS’ investment in technology to produce high-quality drinking water. This technology also allows for the managed use of local water resources—ensuring the availability of drinking water for our customers now and into the future.

As the population of Moorhead and its surrounding region increases, MPS continues to ask the question, "What happens if the water runs dry?" The Red River of the North (Red River) is the primary source of water for the residents of Moorhead. As a secondary source, MPS utilizes wells located in the Buffalo Aquifer (Aquifer) just east of Dilworth. Since 1993, this region has enjoyed the benefits of a long, wet cycle, with above-normal precipitation, which has allowed tremendous flows in the Red River and a refilling of the Aquifer.

Water is abundant, but it is important to remember that this region can experience extreme drought conditions, such as the drought of the 1930s in which the Red River stopped flowing entirely. As the population grows, so does our concern for what might happen if we experience a drought similar to the one in the 1930s. For this reason, MPS is investigating options for future development of drought emergency water resources. One option started to take shape in 2008 when MPS began working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish a management plan for the Aquifer. It is the desire of MPS and the DNR to ensure adequate water resources in the event of a 1930s drought—to be sure water is available for the residents of Moorhead, and for the landowners and residents throughout Clay County.

Furthermore, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is studying options for a Red River diversion as a solution to lessen the severity of flooding in the Moorhead-Fargo metropolitan area. Since the Minnesota option for the diversion would be located adjacent to the Aquifer and may potentially have an impact on static water levels in the Aquifer, MPS is monitoring activities related to the design and option selection for the diversion. The Buffalo Aquifer is an extremely important water resource.

Ensuring the availability of water, a life-giving resource, is important to MPS. As we continue the development of a long-term drought water supply, there will no doubt be a significant investment required. However, not developing drought resources for the future is not an option. As stewards of our community’s water resources, the Moorhead Public Service Commission and MPS staff are working to ensure that we will continue to stand ready to meet our growing community’s demand for safe, clean drinking water.

Sincerely,

Bill Schwandt, PE MBA
General Manager

2009 "The Best in Glass" Award
Minnesota's Best Tasting Drinking Water

Click on the links below for each section of the 2009 Drinking Water Report.

Past MPS Drinking Water Reports

Below is a listing of available Water Quality Reports from Moorhead Public Service.

(Click on the link to open a PDF of the report.)

2001 Water Quality Report

2002 Water Quality Report

2003 Water Quality Report

2004 Water Quality Report

2005 Water Quality Report

2007 Water Quality Report

2008 Water Quality Report

2009 Water Quality Report