This remains a complex, multi-year effort.”

City Administrator Dan Wietecha

Construction is moving ahead on the City of Hastings’ first water treatment plant to address PFAS contamination, even as city officials prepare for a potential legal fight with 3M over responsibility for the pollution.
City Administrator Dan Wietecha delivered the monthly PFAS update during the Monday, April 6 Hastings City Council meeting, outlining both tangible progress on the ground and the broader financial and legal challenges still facing the city.
“This remains a complex, multi-year effort,” Wietecha told the council, noting that while construction milestones are being met, the long-term cost and responsibility for the contamination remain unresolved.
After a winter pause, work has resumed on the city’s central water treatment plant and associated infrastructure.
According to Wietecha, A1 Excavating restarted installation of raw water mains in March, while Magney Construction has continued work at the treatment plant site. Underground excavation and pipe installation were expected to wrap up in early April, with concrete footings scheduled to be poured later this month.
The central plant, located along North Frontage Road, is the first of three treatment facilities planned as part of Hastings’ long-term strategy to remove PFAS compounds from its drinking water. The project began construction in late September 2025 and is expected to reach substantial completion by December 2026.
The city’s broader plan calls for building one treatment plant per year over three years, though Wietecha noted that timeline leaves little margin for delays given federal compliance requirements.
The urgency of the project stems from the widespread presence of PFAS chemicals in Hastings’ water system.
Wietecha said all six of the city’s municipal wells show contamination from PFOA, with two wells also containing PFOS. Testing has also found elevated levels at the site of a future well scheduled to come online this year.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year set strict limits of 4 parts per trillion for both compounds, triggering a requirement that communities take action to reduce contamination within a set timeframe.
While federal regulators have indicated the compliance deadline could be extended from 2029 to 2031, Wietecha cautioned against slowing the city’s progress.
“Our residents will continue to have contaminated water until all three treatment plants are built and operational,” he said in the memo, emphasizing the importance of staying on schedule despite potential flexibility.
The price tag for the full PFAS mitigation effort remains substantial.
Current estimates place total construction costs at approximately $70.3 million, with an additional $1 million annually for operations and maintenance.
Even with more than $23 million in outside funding secured to date, Hastings residents are expected to see significant increases in water rates in the coming years.
Without financial assistance, rates would need to double within three years and triple within five years, according to the city’s analysis.
City leaders continue to pursue additional state and federal funding, including bonding dollars, grants and low-interest loans, to offset the burden on local ratepayers. Meetings with key legislators are scheduled for April as part of that effort.
At the same time, Hastings is increasingly turning its attention to the question of who should ultimately pay for the contamination cleanup.
Wietecha confirmed that the City Council has met in closed session in recent weeks to discuss legal strategy related to potential environmental litigation against 3M, the company widely linked to PFAS contamination in the east metro.
“Potential action is pending,” the memo states.
The issue is complicated by ongoing disputes over access to funding from the state’s 2018 3M settlement, as well as broader disagreements between 3M and state agencies over cleanup responsibilities.
While Hastings has secured roughly $15.1 million from settlement funds tied to contamination connected to one municipal well, eligibility for additional funding remains uncertain and under continued investigation.
Environmental studies conducted with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency have identified some evidence linking Hastings’ water supply to the 3M Cottage Grove site, though results for other wells have been inconclusive so far.
Despite the uncertainties, city officials made clear that the work to address PFAS contamination will continue moving forward on multiple fronts.
Construction of the central treatment plant is expected to remain on schedule through 2026, with planning for the eastern and western plants continuing in parallel.
At the same time, the city is pursuing legislative funding, additional grants and potential legal remedies in an effort to reduce the financial burden on residents.
“This is a significant challenge for our community,” Wietecha said, “but we are making steady progress both in construction and in seeking the resources we need to complete this work.”