Testing found elevated levels of 1,4-dioxane and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in groundwater. This groundwater contamination is likely coming from the Johnson Brothers landfill that closed in 1974.
While groundwater monitoring near the closed landfill began in 1992, results from 2024 testing of private wells along three nearby streets – National Street, National Court, and 114th Avenue — confirmed contamination levels of 1,4-dioxane and PFOA at or above the Minnesota Department of Health’s health-based guidance values. This area is called the mitigation area.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) funded a study led by the City of Blaine to evaluate safe and sustainable drinking water solutions for 28 homes in the mitigation area. Since 2024, the MPCA has provided bottled water as an interim mitigation measure to the affected homes.
The feasibility study determined that connecting these 28 homes to Blaine’s municipal water system was the most protective of human health and the environment, and the financially responsible long-term solution.
Long-term solution for clean drinking water
The 2026 Minnesota Legislature granted the MPCA’s request for over $2 million to provide clean drinking water. The funding will pay for a watermain extension to Blaine’s municipal water system, pay to hook up homes in the mitigation area to the municipal water system, and pay to seal the existing private water wells.
Blaine’s consultant, Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH), is working on a design for the water project and expects to put the plan out for bidding in September 2026, with construction beginning as soon as possible and concluding by fall 2027.
Ongoing investigations
The closed landfill site is located at 11121 Lexington Ave., Blaine, Minn. The City of Blaine owns the site and uses it as a park with a disc golf course, hiking trails, picnic shelters, and a small lake with a fishing pier. The mitigation area is located adjacent to the landfill, around three nearby streets: National Street, National Court, and 114th Avenue.
The MPCA will continue monitoring its existing well network and testing selected private wells in the area of concern around the site. The agency will determine the extent of contamination in the soil, soil vapor, and groundwater, and will address risks to human health and the environment.
The Groundwater Contamination Atlas has a site story with additional details about the Johnson Brothers Landfill closed landfill site.
