The Minnesota Lead Service Line Mapping and Data Display Project has received the Governor’s Certificate in recognition of its outstanding contribution to public health, transparency, and geospatial innovation. 

Presented on Oct. 3 at the 2025 Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium Annual Conference this honor marks the first geospatial project to earn a Governor’s Certificate since 2022. The award celebrates a statewide collaboration led by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) that brought together nearly 1,000 public water systems, 18 consulting engineering firms, the Minnesota Rural Water Association, and U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota. 

Mapping Minnesota’s path to safe drinking water 

The initiative pinpoints where drinking water service lines may pose a risk of lead contamination and need to be replaced. Together, partners created a centralized, user-friendly Lead Service Line Mapping Application—an interactive website that allows anyone to search for the type of service line material and potential replacement need at any of Minnesota’s 1.5 million public water system addresses. 

The application also provides statewide summaries, showing the progress of lead service line replacement efforts across every public water system. Since launch, the map has been viewed more than 100,000 times, helping residents, parents, and decision-makers easily access vital information about their water systems. 

Collaboration across communities 

Each water system contributed to the statewide database by conducting field visits, reviewing records, and documenting both utility- and customer-owned service lines. Consulting engineering firms and the Minnesota Rural Water Association offered technical assistance, particularly for smaller water systems. 

U-Spatial harmonized the data into a single, standardized geospatial database and built the interactive web map that now serves as the state’s most comprehensive tool for tracking lead service line information. 

This large-scale effort engaged more than 2,000 Minnesotans and demonstrates how collaboration and shared geospatial data can transform government transparency, improve health outcomes, and inform statewide decision-making. This type of work exemplifies the benefits of working together and the importance of geospatial data - both topics advanced by the Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council (GAC) and Minnesota Geospatial Information Office.  

The GAC and Governor’s Office extend their sincere appreciation to the partners and contributors who made this achievement possible. 

View the Lead Service Line Mapping application. 

Project Lead: Minnesota Department of Health 
Supporting Organizations: U-Spatial, University of Minnesota; Minnesota Rural Water Association 

Consulting Engineering Firms: 
AE2S • Apex Engineering Group • Bollig, Inc. • Bolton & Menk • DGR • ISG • JPJ Engineering, Inc. • Karvakko, P.A. • Moore Engineering, Inc. • MSA Professional Services, Inc. • NERO Engineering • Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH) • Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. • TKDA • Ulteig Engineers, Inc. • WHKS & Co. • Widseth • WSB & Associates, Inc. 

Public Water Systems that contributed geospatial data: 
Albert Lea • Alexandria • Apple Valley • Austin Utilities • Blaine • Bloomington • Brooklyn Center • Brooklyn Park • Chanhassen • Chaska • Columbia Heights • Coon Rapids • Cottage Grove • Duluth • Eagan • Eden Prairie • Farmington • Golden Valley • Hutchinson • Lakeville • Maple Grove • Medina • Minneapolis • Minnetonka • Moorhead • North Branch • Norwood-Young America • Owatonna • Plymouth • Prior Lake • Rochester • Rosemount • Saint Cloud • Saint Louis Park • Saint Paul Regional Water Services • Shoreview • White Bear Lake