'It isn't a water system problem': Pine City clarifies that source water isn't cause of elevated copper level

The Pine City Council clarified that the city's source water did not contribute to the action level for copper being exceeded at Wednesday's meeting.

A letter from the Minnesota Department of Health dated Dec. 3 states: "We believe your source water did not contribute to the prior action level exceedance."

"It does say that our source water, which is our towers, our main lines, all of that, did not exceed the copper or the lead," said Pine City utility billing specialist Lisa Dunbar. "So it's not coming from there."

Dunbar explained that the city is required to collect 40 samples twice a year from city households and businesses.

Of those 40 samples taken between July and December of 2025, seven exceeded the action level for copper. Dunbar said those seven addresses are scattered throughout Pine City.

"It's definitely not our whole system, that is safe and fine to drink," Dunbar said. "It's in the homes, because it's either the service line coming from the street in, or there are lines in the house that are leaching the copper."

Public notification was triggered because more than 10 percent of the locations sampled were above the copper action level set by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Dunbar added that she'd like to see a wider range of sample sites, and encouraged residents to reach out to the city to sign up to have their water tested.

"It's the same 40 people on the list that are getting tested every time, and we do it twice a year," Dunbar said. "So it would be nice if more people would want to sign up to be tested for copper and lead."

"That was one of my fears, when we have to notify everybody, is that everybody in town is going to think that the water's no good, and that's not the case," Dunbar said.

Dunbar also said the city has started an optimal corrosion control treatment plan.

Mayor Kent Bombard said that providing safe, drinkable water is a priority for the city.

"I just want to make sure that when we're charging people $100 a month for water, that water is drinkable and will continue to be drinkable," Bombard said.