Capital Investment Committee hears dozens of water and sewer funding requests from Minnesota cities

The House Capital Investment Committee met March 4 for an informational session on 17 capital requests, hearing presentations from more than a dozen Minnesota cities seeking state support for water and sewer projects.

Committee Chair Fransen opened the meeting by saying every bill would be heard on an informational basis only and “laid over” for later action. Municipal officials and elected representatives described projects addressing aging pipes, inflow and infiltration (I&I), and treatment for contaminants including manganese, radium and PFAS.

Why it matters: Committee members heard repeated warnings that deferred infrastructure work has raised costs, shifted burdens to ratepayers, and in some places posed environmental risks to lakes and the Mississippi River. Several cities said assessments large enough to cover projects would be unaffordable for many households.

Major requests and details

- Mound (House File 406): Mayor Jason Holt told the committee his city needs a new water treatment plant to remove manganese, which Minnesota Health and the Public Facilities Authority treat as an emerging contaminant. He said a remaining price tag of roughly $30 million remains after prior appropriations and that a PFA grant this year would likely reduce that by about $3 million. “Clean drinking water is not just a fundamental necessity, it’s also a right that every Minnesotan deserves,” Holt said.

- Minnetrista (House File 408): Council member Kathleen Refkin said Minnetrista seeks $26,755,000 to build a treatment plant to remove manganese and iron. The city has contributed about $17 million to its water system since 2017 and plans to complete the plant in 2027. Officials said the cost, if shifted entirely to ratepayers, would raise annual water-related costs by about $1,200 per household for 20 years.

- Burnsville (no HF number provided in testimony): Mayor Elizabeth Kautz and Representative…