Met Council is continually looking to the future and working holistically to ensure clean water for future generations. Guided by a long-range plan, we are committed to supporting sustainable and cost-effective water treatment and water resources protection as our communities develop and grow. We ensure that wastewater collection and treatment is competitive in cost and quality, and we continually access and identify long-term approaches and infrastructure investments.
Planning underway for 2050 Water Policy Plan
The Met Council is updating the current
Water Policy Plan, which integrates planning for wastewater services, water supply, and surface water management to ensure sustainable water resources in the region. We worked with an advisory group that included watershed administrators, public works directors, city engineers, and others involved in water resource management. The updated 2050
Water Policy Plan includes overall water resources policy and actions, the Wastewater System Plan, and the Metro Area Water Supply Plan.
Supporting future water professionals
Each year, Environmental Services hosts a robust internship program providing high school and college students with the opportunity to build essential leadership skills, build meaningful professional networks, and engage in long-lasting, impactful projects. In 2023, the Met Council hosted 13 interns in the Environmental Services division.
Investing in quality and capacity building
The Capital Program is a component of the Met Council’s unified budget plan. It provides capital investments to preserve and rehabilitate existing wastewater infrastructure, meet more stringent water and air quality regulations, and expand the system's capacity to meet regional growth needs.
Sustainability through financial stewardship
The Met Council coordinates a cost-effective and resilient regional wastewater collection and treatment system. We keep our rates reasonable to best meet our region’s water through capacity and resilience planning, collection and treatment, resource recovery, and infrastructure maintenance. Wastewater fees average $31 a month per household – estimated to be 35% less than other large U.S. wastewater utilities, according to the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.
Our three largest sources of revenue are:
Municipal wastewater charge
We charge our customer communities for sewer service; they pay based on the volume of wastewater treated.
Sewer availability charge
We charge our customer communities when properties first connect to the system, and when properties expand or change (causing more demand on the system).
Industrial waste charges
We have 948 industries with permits to discharge wastewater that needs additional treatment steps. Additional fees depend on the types of services provided.