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Water Department
The City of Forest Lake Water Department provides sanitary, healthful, and economical water to the City’s residents and commercial businesses. The city owned and operated water system obtains water from the Mt. Simon and Quaternary Buried Artesian aquifers through 5 well pumps. These pumps deliver water to one of the City’s four Water Treatment Plants for processing. At the plants, the water is chlorinated and fluoridated to meet Minnesota Department of Health standards. Once the water has been treated and softened, it is propelled to one of the City’s two water towers through 77 miles of water main. The towers respectively hold 750,000 and 500,000 gallons of water. Stored water is to be consumed at our homes, businesses and for fire protection. Our staff are licensed by the State of Minnesota and are constantly updating their skills through continuing education.
Water services are provided to most City residents. Some Forest Lake properties obtain their water through private wells and are not served by the municipal water system.
Contact Us
Emergency Water/Sewer calls 24-Hours a Day
651-209-9743
*You must leave a message for your call to be returned.
Non-Emergency: 651-464-3220
Utilities Superintendent, Dan Schreier: 651-209-9740
Email: Dan.schreier@ci.forest-lake.mn.us
Initial Service Line Inventory Accessibility Notification
The City of Forest Lake has completed and submitted our service line materials inventory to the Minnesota Department of Health. The service line inventory is publicly available and you can check the materials for your service line by visiting the Lead Inventory Tracking Tool (LITT) here. YYou may also contact Forest Lake Utilities Superintendent, Dan Schreier, (651) 209-9740 or at dan.schreier@ci.forest-lake.mn.us
To complete the service line inventory for our system, the City of Forest Lake used installation dates, as-builts, and data from our recent water meter changeout program to identify pipe material. As of 12/11/2023, our inventory contains 408 lead services, 46 galvanized services requiring replacement, 0 unknown material, and 3895 non-lead service lines.
Curb Stops (Water Service Valve)
The City of Forest Lake is responsible for the watermain, service line to the service valve also known as the curb stop. Half of the curb stop is the cities responsibility and the other half is the homeowners or businesses responsibility. If water is coming out of the stand pipe of the curb stop call the city for assistance (651) 209-9743. The leak then will be determined if it is on the cities side of the curb stop or customer’s side by shutting off the curb stop. If the water continually flows while the water is shut off the leak is on the cities side of the curb stop. If the water stops, the leak is on the customers side of the curb stop. Forest Lake requires a city employee to operate the curb stop or valve due to ease of being able to break.
Bi-Annual Hydrant Flushing
Bi-annual flushing of the City of Forest Lake’s fire hydrants will begin in April and should continue for approximately two months. The city also flushes dead end hydrants in the fall to ensure water quality in the winter months. You may notice Water Department crews working at one of 820 fire hydrants and see water running down the street. The city flushes water lines through the use of fire hydrants, which is an important preventive maintenance activity for water main and to make sure hydrants are working properly in case of a fire. Although it may appear to be a waste of water, the process is part of a routine maintenance program necessary to maintain the integrity of the water system allowing us to continue to deliver the highest quality water possible to our customers.
As a result of the line flushing process, residents in the immediate vicinity of the work may experience temporary discoloration of their water. This discoloration consists primarily of harmless silt and air and does not affect the safety of the water. If you experience discoloration in your water after crews have been flushing in your neighborhood, clear the pipes in your home by running cold water in all water faucets for a few minutes. If you lose water service or if low pressure persists after flushing is complete, please notify the Public Works Utility Department at (651) 209-9743.
Watering and Sprinkling
The City of Forest Lake has sprinkling restrictions in place year-round. These restrictions apply to city-metered water, not well-water. Homes with even numbered addresses may sprinkle their property only on even numbered calendar days. Homes with odd numbered addresses may sprinkler their property only on odd numbered calendar days. The sprinkling restrictions allow sprinkling ONLY between the hours of 4:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. If you have any questions, please call 651-395-5830.
Water Meters
Every business or residence that is using City water is required to have a water meter installed. These meters are used to monitor the water consumption and are billed accordingly. These meters are read quarterly by staff using technology that allows them to access information wirelessly without the need to view the meter itself. There are occasions, however, when utility personnel need to gain access to your home. The two most common occurrences are for the initial set-up of the water meter and for repair work to water meters. Contact the Utility Billing Department at 651-395-5830 with questions regarding water meter setups.
Utility Rates
https://www.ci.forest-lake.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/4085/2026-Utility-Fee-Schedule