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