Additional Charge on July Utility Bills
7/17/2026
Safe Drinking Water Fee
Also known as the public water supply fee
When customers receive their water bill from their water supplier, they may notice that one of the items in the list of charges is "water testing fee" or "state test fee." On the City of Dawson utility bill this fee is listed as MDH Test Fee. This fee is called the safe drinking water fee. It is also known as the service connection fee.
The fee helps ensure that all public water systems get the support needed to provide safe drinking water everywhere in Minnesota.
The 2025 Minnesota State Legislature passed a bill raising the safe drinking water fee from $9.72 to $15.22 per water service connection, effective January 1, 2026. This fee increase reduces the state's reliance on federal infrastructure funds, making more dollars available for local drinking water infrastructure projects.
More information may be found at: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/com/scf.html