Many of the agricultural areas of Minnesota have surface and groundwater nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in excess of the federal drinking water standard. Several communities have installed nitrate-removal systems for municipal water supplies.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has just finished its report “Swimmable, fishable, fixable? What we have learned about Minnesota waters,” which cites pollution of waters in the southern, agricultural third of the state and concludes: “Implementing the strategies identified so far will take 20 or 30 years — or more — with interim milestones to measure and motivate progress.” And the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is adopting regulations to restrict fall application of nitrogen fertilizer and applications to frozen ground in areas susceptible to nitrates in groundwater.

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