Wastewater Spills

Report sewer spills!

On a rare occasion, a sanitary sewer will break or have another problem that results in a wastewater spill. The Metropolitan Council is committed to responding quickly to minimize wastewater spill impacts, repair damaged sewers, and get them back in service as soon we can. We proactively monitor the condition of our wastewater sewers, to reduce the risk of spills.

The Met Council owns and operates 637 miles of regional sanitary sewers that convey wastewater from 111 cities and townships in the Twin Cities metro area to our 9 wastewater treatment plants. We collect and treat about 250 million gallons of wastewater daily, and return the resulting clean water to the environment.

If a sewer spill happens, we:

• Stop the spill as soon as possible. Wastewater is routed to alternate pipes or pumped out and put into pipes downstream of the damaged area.
• Post signs alerting people to stay away from the area affected by the spill.
• Quickly repair the sewer using an emergency contractor.
• Recover as much of the wastewater as possible. We wash off paved surfaces and pump out wastewater collected on the ground.
• Monitor water quality if the spill affects water bodies such as lakes, ponds, streams, or rivers. We collect and analyze water samples to evaluate extent of the spill, assess environmental impacts, and determine when the water bodies return to being suitable for public contact.
• Communicate our actions with affected residents and businesses.

Spill information

Information on specific wastewater spills will be updated here and posted for one year. See spill information for:

• Lino Lakes, December 2023
• South Saint Paul, April 2024

If no information is posted for an active spill site, we are still gathering details from our spill response team so we can accurately inform affected residents and businesses. Send an email to the contact below to be notified of updates.