This month’s PFAS update from Hastings City Administrator Dan Wietecha highlighted looking forward to future funding sources as the central water treatment plant moved toward construction.

While work continues towards the construction of the central water treatment plant, funding for future water treatment plants, and further investigation in connecting the contamination in Hastings’ wells to 3M dumping sites in Washington County, this month there are “no surprises,” in the PFAS update said Wietecha.

Last month, the city finalized contracts for the raw water main to the central water treatment plant and for the central treatment plant itself at a cost of $3,059,757 for the water main and $15,388,800 for the central water treatment plant.

Construction on the raw water main from Well 7 will begin later this month, with ground expected to be broken on the water treatment plant in October.

From the city’s preliminary levy and budget, another 30% worth of water rate increases is expected across the next year with 10% scheduled for January 2026, July 2026, and January 2027 respectively.

Those increases could be offset, however, if further outside funding can be found.

One such avenue is state funds, specifically from a future bonding bill. Bonding has not happened in the State in the past two years. Both of those years saw Hastings submit requests for funding for water treatment plant projects that went unfunded.

Last year, however, the city did receive an addition $2 million in Emerging Contaminants Grants.

Hastings is “already talking about next legislative session,” said Wietecha.

According to Wietecha, city officials have already been in talks with Rep. Tom Dippel and state lobbyists, with future discussions scheduled with Sen. Judy Seeberger.

“There might be other funding sources we can see,” said Wietecha.

The city is also seeking federal funding in the form of congressionally directed spending, often referred to as earmarks.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar submitted a proposal seeking $1.1 million to the House Appropriations Committee. That number has dramatically fallen from the initial ask of half of the cost of the western treatment plant which is projected to cost some $20 million. The $1.1 million figure falls more in line with other congressionally directed spending requests.

“We are certainly looking for anything we can,” said Wietecha.