Public Notices & News

As communicated prior, our previous vendor for mass emergency communications Code Red is no longer our vendor for alerts. Watonwan County, along with the City of Madelia, City of St. James, St. James Minnesota Police Department, Watonwan County Emergency Management, and Watonwan County Sheriff’s Office has contracted with ReGroup mass communications. Even if you had previously signed up for this service, you will need to register again. 

Visit: Regroup to sign up with a quick and easy form. If there are questions, call the Office of Emergency Management at 507-375-5841.

Watonwan County has announced updates to recycling services for Madelia residents.

Final Service by Hometown Sanitation

• Last recycling pickup: Friday, December 19, 2025
• Cart removal: Hometown Sanitation will collect recycling carts on this same day.
• Important: Please place your recycling cart at the curb before 7:00 AM.
• If your cart is not picked up, contact Watonwan County Land Management at 507-375-1225. Provide your address, and they will notify Hometown Sanitation.

New Service Provider: West Central Sanitation

• Start date: January 1, 2026
• First pickup day: Thursday, January 8, 2026
• Cart delivery: New 95-gallon carts will be delivered beginning Monday, December 15, 2025.
• Recycling services will remain the same, but pickup day will change from Fridays to Thursdays.

A copy of the updated garbage and recycling schedule will be mailed with December’s utility bill at the end of the month.

The 2025 Minnesota Legislature has passed a law that amends Minnesota Statute 144.3831 to increase the safe drinking water service connection fee (state water test fee). Effective January 1, 2026 the fee will be increased from $9.72 annually, to $15.22 per water service connection. 

Madelia residents are billed monthly and will see the increase on their January 2026 utility billing. Because $15.22 is not divisible by 12 equal monthly payments, residents will be billed $1.27 from January to October, and $1.26 for the months of November and December. 

The fee increase accounts for the significant inflation that has occurred since the last increase in 2019, as well as expectations for continued expansion of federal regulations, increased laboratory costs for testing, drinking water data system improvements, and numerous changes in the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) including new rules and enforcement requirements that have both occurred and are being phased in over the next few years. 

To learn more, visit the Minnesota Department of Health website at https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/com/scf.html