Reasons to Consider a Career in the Water Industry

If you’re looking for your first career or a new career, there’s a whole industry you maybe haven’t considered – The water industry! The Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association offers several great reasons to consider a career in the water industry.

Career Variety

There are many types of career opportunities in the water industry. These jobs range from those for high school graduates to those with graduate degrees. If you’re looking for an outdoor position or a desk job, the water industry will be perfect for you.

"Right now the thing I like most about working in the water sector is working on projects that rehab or expand existing facilities. There is a huge need to improve existing water infrastructure. My favorite projects have been related to increasing treatment capacities within existing footprints using technology that wasn’t available when the facilities were first built."
– Kevin Young, MN AWWA Member

Stability

Water is important to everyone. This means that there will always be a demand for fresh, clean water – especially drinking water. Where there is a demand, there is stability in a career.

Options for Relocation

Water is needed in every community. This means that if you want to stay where you are, you can. On the flip side, if you have a strong desire to move, you can do that, too! You will have options for relocation while in the water industry.

Room for Growth

Working in the water industry leaves you is room for growth. Depending on your ambition, you will have the opportunity for further training, certifications, and growth.

Sense of Community

A great reason to work in the water industry is the sense of community you have with the customers and your coworkers.

"The most rewarding thing is knowing that the work we do has a direct positive effect on the community." - Allison Wheeler, MN AWWA Member

"The thing I find most rewarding about working in the water sector is being able to distribute safe and reliable water to our customers. They rely on me to supply safe, clean drinking water to them at all times. Our customers also rely on me to ensure that our system is adequately supplied for their safety as well. Our department takes pride in being able to accomplish both on a daily basis." - Eric Volk, MN AWWA Member

"I think the most rewarding thing about being in the water sector is that I am playing a part in providing something that really matters. I’m not just making things look pretty or getting people to buy a product, I’m helping communities provide an essential resource. I can’t think of many things that matter more." - Nicole Gaustad, MN AWWA Member

Using this information, you should now be able to make a decision for your next career. For more information and help, please contact us. We offer even more great resources for a career in the water industry.

Why America’s Water Infrastructure Matters

When Hurricane Irma hit in September, the aging sewer systems in Brunswick, Georgia flooded, making a very bad situation even worse. It can be hard to imagine going without water for one day, but thousands in Brunswick were not able to take showers, wash dishes, or flush toilets for four days. Our water infrastructure plays a seamless part in everyday life, so when it goes awry, the public notices. This specific example is why upgrading America’s water infrastructure is so important.

The American Water Works Association’s 2017 State of the Water Industry Report suggests that renewing water and wastewater infrastructure is the number one concern of water utility professionals in North America. However, because water infrastructure is out of sight, the seriousness of the issue is often times misunderstood.

MYTH: The federal government already overspends on water infrastructure.

FACT: 96 percent of public spending on water infrastructure comes from states and localities. So even though the conversation often makes national news, local water utilities often carry the financial burden.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States has nearly 52,000 community water systems. Because water systems are such regional operations, this can lead to coordination difficulties.

MYTH: As a public utility, water doesn’t add much to the economy.

FACT: Just 30 of the country’s largest water utilities support $52 billion in economic output and nearly 30,000 jobs annually. That doesn’t even include the millions of households, businesses, and industries that need seamless water infrastructure to function and grow their business.

In Minnesota, agriculture is a very important economic engine, and water systems are vital for its success. That’s because agriculture is one of the largest consumers of water. Water systems are tied directly to this industry and to workers that grow our food.

MYTH: Water costs are rising because water providers want higher revenue.

FACT: Water rates are increasing in many cities to cover the cost of infrastructure upgrades and repairs. In Flint, Michigan, infamous for its water contamination scandal, that will add up to an extra $300 billion on the county’s water bill. That puts many families in danger of not being able to afford their water bills. More public investment could help alleviate some of this cost.


The Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association is committed to providing clean drinking water to Minnesota. For more information, visit our website.

Finding Water Leaks In Your Home: Rising Costs and Wasting Water

Realizing you have a water leak days or even weeks after it began may be a costly and devastating discovery. The damage even a small drip can cause to your home is unbelievably destructive. Not only can a leak cause damage, but wastes water and increases your water bill. Being vigilant in finding water leaks in your home can help prevent all these problems.

Water Heaters

A common leak culprit is your water heater. If you notice water on the cement area around your water heater or water stains on the floor, there might be a problem with your temperature and pressure relief valve. This mechanism is very important to keep functioning properly as it can cause your water heater to malfunction if not serviced. Your water heater can also leak from the top as multiple plumbing lines go in and out of the appliance. Learn about testing your water heater for leaks and what you should do when you find one in this helpful article.

Leaking Toilets

One of the most common leaks occurs when a toilet flap is not properly closed, causing the pump to endlessly cycle water. An easy way to test this is to drop food coloring into the tank (just lift the cover) and watch the water in the bowl. If the water in the bowl changes color, you have a leak.

It is also common for toilet tanks to become unbalanced from the base when people lean back against them. Check periodically that there are no drips behind your toilet. Sometimes leaks are as easy as replacing chains or tightening bolts, but if you are unsure, it is best to call a plumber. Do not leave a leak unchecked.

Recognize Water Damage

Water damage can show up in many forms. Look for ripples in the drywall, mold or rot along baseboards, peeling and cracking plaster, or discolored ceiling tiles. The best way to find a hidden leak in your home's plumbing is to be aware of and investigate anything suspicious. If you see something you are unsure about, try to assess if it is damaged and where the damage is coming from. Often, you’ll find plumbing you were unaware of leaking and slowly deteriorating your home's building materials.

If you live in a home with metered water, check your meter for leaks. This is easy to do and will allow you to check your whole home's water outflow at once. Contact your water supplier if you suspect you have a leaking water meter.


Controlling leaks is an important aspect of limiting water consumption. When you care for the water in your home, you help care for the water in our entire planet. Fix a leak right away to cut costs, prevent damage to your home, and reduce water waste. Don't forget to always USE WATER WISELY.

A Recap of the 101st Annual Minnesota AWWA Conference

What a week! Our 101st annual MN AWWA Conference took place along the water (where else?) last month, in the beautiful city of Duluth.

As usual, the conference was four days chock full of events, kicking off September 12th with a day of clay shooting, golfing, fishing and the like to raise funds for Minnesota AWWA’s Philanthropic Committee and the life-changing missions of Water for People and the Water Equation.

The support adds up. Overall this year, MN AWWA events have raised over $30,000 for the MN AWWA Philanthropic Committee. We welcomed 13 tournament fishing boats, 50 sporting clay shooters, and 105 tournament golfers.

Keynotes and Competitions

On September 13th, we heard from keynote speakers Brenda Lennox, President of the American Water Works Association, and Erik Therwanger, author of “The Leadership Connection.”

Later, we named the winner of the highly anticipated “Best in Glass” taste test award. This year, the City of Bloomington has the best tasting water in Minnesota! The city will compete at the American Water Works Association’s ACE18 National Conference next June in Las Vegas.

We also crowned champs for the Meter Madness, Hydrant Hysteria and Pipe Tapping competitions. Brent Massmann of the City of Eagan, the Duluth Great Lakes Tappers and the Bloomington Gladiators saw victory in each category, respectively.

Each winner will compete at the American Water Works Association’s ACE18 National Conference next June in Las Vegas!

Meet Eric Volk

September 14th was a day of recognition. We elected Eric Volk as the new Section-Chair Elect. Eric has worked his way up in the industry the last 15 years, first as a water/wastewater operator with the city of Blaine, then as a Lead Water Operator and now Water Superintendent for Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU).

He served for nearly 23 years in the military, including four deployments. He retired from the military in December 2014. He has earned his Public Works Certificate and is now working toward a BS in Business Administration.

As chair, Eric plans to focus on operator recruitment and training. Specifically, that means working with the Professional Operator Development Committee to make sure current and future operators can meet the challenges of enhancing regulations, as well as recruiting new operators by connecting with several programs around the state to train a new generation.

Award Winners

On Thursday, several members received well-deserved recognition for their hard work.

• Patrick Shea was awarded the George Warren Fuller Award, which recognizes “distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of the sound engineering skill . . . the brilliant diplomatic talent . . . and the constructive leadership which characterized the life of George Warren Fuller.”

• Steve Schneider was presented the Leonard N. Thompson Award, an award for “distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of Leonard N. Thompson, past General Manager of the St. Paul Water Utility for nearly 34 years.”

• The Jon Eaton Excellence in Volunteering Award went to Brian LeMon, for advancing AWWA through his volunteer time and efforts.

We closed the week on September 15th with technical sessions, a panel session, and a farewell lunch. It was a great week learning from and with the state’s top water professionals.


View more photos from the conference here! To learn more about the Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association, visit our website!

A Preview of Minnesota AWWA's 101st Annual Conference

The Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association’s 101st Annual Conference is right around the corner and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Following last year’s historic celebration of a century, the annual conference continues Minnesota AWWA’s focus on educating attendees on water quality and treatment, public health, and safety. Water professionals from across Minnesota will gather in Duluth from September 12th-15th for a combination of social and educational events dedicated to preserving and protecting our state’s most vital resource...WATER!


The conference, which takes place over the course of four days, kicks off on Tuesday with a day of fun events hosted by the Minnesota AWWA Philanthropic Committee. The events — sporting clays, a golf tournament, and a fishing tournament — are not only sure to inspire some friendly competition, but also raise funds for the life-changing missions of Water for People and the Water Equation.

The conference convenes at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center overlooking the massive and breathtaking Lake Superior. What better backdrop to discuss water than a view of the largest lake in North America! If you’ve attended the conference in the past, you already know that each day is jam-packed with networking and educational events, including workshops and exhibits. Here’s what you can expect at this year’s conference:

Tuesday, September 12:

• Board meetings
• Philanthropic events

Wednesday, September 13:

• Opening sessions with a welcome by Minnesota AWWA Chair Tony Belden, and AWWA President Brenda Lennox
• Keynote speaker Erik Therwanger
• Vendor exhibitions
• Competitions (including Meter Madness, Hydrant Hysteria, Pipe Tapping, and Best In Glass Water Taste Test)
• Water for People silent auction
• The MAC Social at Grandma’s Sports Garden

Thursday, September 14:

• Concurrent technical sessions and speakers
• Annual business meetings and lunch
• Section election results
• AWWA Appreciation Reception and Dinner
• Awards presentation
• Test your knowledge at the Young Professionals Trivia Tournament at Grizzly’s Restaurant

Friday, September 15:

• Technical sessions
• Panel discussion
• Farewell lunch for attendees

Join us in this opportunity to network and learn from the state’s top water professionals at the 101st Annual Minnesota AWWA Conference. You can register here. Remember to get social with us on Facebook and Twitter, and share your conference experiences with us.

Water Towers of Minnesota

Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of your local water tower? What does it actually do? Why is it shaped like that? Who does it serve? Water towers have a simple function but provide an integral purpose to the community in both use and identity. Learn more about them below.

The Function of a Water Tower

Water towers provide a reserve of water that functions due to height and pressure. A water tower must be of a certain height (and thus, deliver a certain pressure) in order to adequately supply water to nearby homes and businesses.

While water towers come in a variety of shapes and volumes, a typical tower holds a reserve of water large enough to supply a day’s worth of water to the community. In fact, your local water tower may hold well over one million gallons of water!

In addition to serving the important function of delivering clean and safe drinking water to the community, a water tower can showcase the identity of a community. Far from just being quirky and charming welcome signs to a town, a water tower can display town pride, serve as a testament to a community’s rich history, or as a celebration of what a town has to offer visitors.

Image by Tony Webster from via Wikimedia Commons

Unique Minnesota Water Towers

The Rochester water tower is built in the shape of a corn cob and has become a well-known landmark and symbol of the original Libby Foods plant in Rochester. The Lindstrom Teapot water tower in Lindstrom pays homage to the town’s sister city in Tingsryd, Sweden. The tea pot itself is painted with the words,” Valkommen till Lindstrom,” which is translated to mean, “Welcome to Lindstrom.”

Certain water towers, while no longer in use, still stand as reminders of a town’s rich history. The original water tower in Brainerd, which was put out of use in 1960, was the first all-concrete and elevated tank used in America. The architecture of the Prospect Park Water Tower in Minneapolis—locally known as the Witch’s Hat Water Tower—spurred the community to protect the tower from demolition in 1955. It has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been rumored to have been the inspiration for Bob Dylan’s song “All Along the Watchtower.”

Image by Jonathunder via Wikimedia Commons

Water towers are among the first things to greet you when you drive into a town. The small town of Waite Park distinguishes itself from the greater St. Cloud community with a vibrant yellow water tower featuring a smiling face. Pequot Lakes features a water tower in the form of a fishing bobber signaling that you are indeed in the Great North and surrounded by lakes, forests, and the great outdoors.

Water towers are also often iconic landmarks in their own right. Challenge yourself to find the history of your local water tower. For more information on water works, visit the Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association.

Recap of Minnesota AWWA 100th Annual Conference

The 100th Annual Minnesota AWWA Conference took place Sept. 20-23 at the Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center. Governor Mark Dayton declared September 22nd to be Minnesota Water Works Day.

The conference began with a day of charitable events (clay shooting, golfing, fishing) to raise funds for Water For People. Overall, 2016 MN AWWA events have raised $35,335 for Water For People and the Education Endowment. At the Convention alone, there was a record number of participants:

• 75 fishermen on 13 boats
• 50 clay shooters
• 104 golfers

Keynote speakers over the weekend included David LaFrance, CEO of the American Water Works Association, and Steve Maxwell, author of The Future of Water.

We are proud to announce that the City of St. Cloud was the 2016 Best In Glass taste test award winner for best tasting water in the state. St. Cloud’s drinking water also was selected as the 2016 People’s Choice at the Minnesota State Fair. The City of St. Cloud’s award winning water will represent Minnesota at the American Water Works Association national conference next June in Philadelphia.

New Section Positions

• Pete Moulton, the Director of Public Water Works for the City of St. Peter, was elected to the position of Section Director

• David Brown from the Metropolitan Council was elected as the Section Chair

Award Winners

• Carol Blommel Johnson - George Warren Fuller Award
• This award is presented annually by the American Water Works Association to the sections' respective selected members for their distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of the sound engineering skill, the brilliant diplomatic talent, and the constructive leadership which characterized the life of George Warren Fuller.

• Myron Volker - Leonard N. Thompson Award
• This award is presented annually to one member for their distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of Leonard N. Thompson, past General Manager of the St. Paul Water Utility for nearly 34 years.

• Uma Vempati - Andrew Sullivan Outstanding Leadership Award
• This award is presented to an individual or group for exceptional service that demonstrates initiative and dedication to the drinking water profession.

• Scott Fronek - Jon Eaton Excellence in Volunteering Award
• This award is to recognize and honor an individual AWWA member who has advanced AWWA through his/her volunteer time and efforts and has been a support to AWWA staff.

Thanks to all who participated and volunteered to make the first 100 years of Minnesota AWWA a success. Raise a glass of #drinktapwater in confident optimism that the next 100 years will be even better!

Tips to Keep Your Drinking Water Safe

National Drinking Water Week will take place May 1st – May 7th. The American Water Works Association and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week for more than 35 years. Although the United States has one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world, the recent drinking water stories from Flint, Michigan have caused concern about the safety of their water. Though it remains very unlikely that Minnesota will see a similar problem, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your home drinking water is safe.

Education is the Key

Public water suppliers provide an annual water report called the Consumer Confidence Report. It has the most current testing data and outlines where your tap water comes from and if it is in compliance with EPA regulations. If you have questions, contact your water supplier. They are the best resource to help educate you on what you can do to ensure your tap water is safe.

Protecting Yourself from Lead

If you live in an older home, or your plumbing is out of date, there may be some risk of consuming small amounts of lead. “If you have a lead pipe in front of your house, if you were in my family, I would tell you to never, ever drink that water without filtering it,” says Marc Edwards, Virginia Tech civil and environmental engineer. There are filtering systems on the market that tackle your entire house, but experts say your best defense takes place at the sink. Water filtered through a whole-house filtration system still needs to travel through pipes (possibly lead pipes) to reach your faucet. This is why it is best to invest in a filtration system at your kitchen sink. You don’t need to worry about showering in water. “There’s no harm; it doesn’t go in through your skin,” Edwards says.

Private Wells

Public water sources are regulated and tested often, but private wells are the responsibility of the homeowner. If you get your drinking water from a private well, you should: ● Test your water frequently - at least once a year. Be sure to use a state certified laboratory. You may want to test more often if someone in your household is pregnant or nursing, someone becomes ill, you notice a difference in taste or smell, or you replace any part of your well system. ● Make sure to maintain your well and the related equipment. Well installers will service your equipment to ensure it is operating properly. ● Become educated on the aquifer and any well-head protection efforts that are implemented to ensure it remains a safe supplier of your water.

Purifying Your Water

What happens if you are alerted that your home tap water isn’t safe? Well, (pun intended) there are a few steps you can take to make absolutely sure it is safe to drink. Passing water through a muslin cloth or a home treatment device will help remove most impurities, but can still leave you vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. The best way to remove all impurities is to boil it - bring the water to a rolling boil, and continue for 1-2 minutes.

Containers Make a Difference

With so many water containers on the market today, don’t store your water in recycled containers from your home, like old milk jugs or juice containers - sugars and milk proteins settle at the bottom of these bottles and can cause bacterial growth. Start with a clean, NEW container to ensure the cleanest water. Thanks to the billions of dollars invested in water systems across the country, water contamination in the United States is, thankfully, a very rare occurrence. Recent news stories have caused concern, but there is little reason to fear a problem in your tap water. To keep your mind at ease, follow the above tips and you will no doubt have the safest drinking water possible. Happy Drinking Water Week from Minnesota AWWA.

One Less Bottle a Day

As the earth’s residents, we need to protect the planet whenever possible. One way we can do this is in being mindful of the ways we consume the most abundant liquid on earth - water. Reusable water bottles are better for the environment, more cost-efficient, and take up less space in landfills. With thousands of options available, it may seem like there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to a reusable water bottle, though we’ve made up a simple guide to help you choose.

One of the basic things to look out for is whether or not the bottle is BPA free, which usually applies to plastic bottles bought in bulk, not reusable water bottles. BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical that can leak from the plastic bottle into your water or into the ground after being tossed into a landfill. For reusable bottles, there are a few material options to choose from: plastic, stainless steel, and glass are the most common.

Plastic Bottles

You can purchase both hard plastic and soft plastic bottles; soft plastic bottles can conveniently collapse and be stored in your bag, whereas it is easier to drink from hard plastic bottles. In hard plastic, the  24-ounce Thermos Nissan Intak Hydration Water Bottle is a great size for most reusable water drinkers and is leak-proof.

If you are looking for a collapsible bottle for traveling (or just for the convenience), the Vapur Element Bottle is a great option. This bottle has 4.5 stars from 706 reviews on Amazon, so you are likely to find that Vapur Element is the bottle for you.

Stainless Steel Bottles

Stainless steel bottles are usually the go-to bottles for cleanliness, durability, and use. However, some find that the taste is a bit tainted from the stainless steel material. Water will taste a little different depending on what material you drink from. It basically comes down to a personal preference, and you really won’t know what you like until you try them. The highest rated stainless steel bottle is the Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Bottle with Loop Cap, which looks like the most basic of water bottles, but this tried and true bottle is a winner.

Glass Bottles

Possibly considered the best bottle for taste preference is the glass water bottle. We are most accustomed to drinking from glass. However, the downfalls are the weight of the bottle and the durability of the glass. Glass bottles are often not allowed in gyms because they can shatter. Consider where you will be using your bottle most often and let that help you decide the best material for you. One of the best glass bottles is the Lifefactory 22-Ounce Beverage Bottle from Amazon.com. The thin plastic shell will help protect from bumps and small drops and large opening allows for easy cleaning.

There are a ton of options available on the market. You can customize your bottle to fit your personality, your workspace, your travel habits - almost anything! We’re here to aid you in choosing the correct reusable bottle for your lifestyle. If you have additional questions regarding reusable bottles, ask with the hashtag #DrinkTap, like Minnesota AWWA on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

The Top Ice Fishing Lakes in Minnesota

The infamous Minnesota winter is enough to scare people away and keep them inside during the winter months, but not for the avid ice fishing enthusiast who bare the weather in search of the perfect walleye and northern pike. With well over 10,000 lakes, it is no wonder why ice fishing is one of Minnesota’s biggest winter activities. The question is what are the best lakes to go ice fishing in the winter?

Upper Red Lake

Stretching over 288,000 acres, Red Lake is made up of the “Upper” and “Lower” region which is located in Northern Minnesota’s Beltrami County. If you are in search of world class caliber walleye, Upper Red Lake is the place to go. With plenty of access points spread out on the eastern shore, this lake is known for its walleye, northern pike, and crappie.

Lake Mille Lacs

Located north of St. Paul, Lake Mill Lacs spans more than 132,000 acres and stretches across Mill Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing counties to be recorded as the second largest lake in the state. The lake is known for their walleye, rock bass, northern pike, jumbo perch, muskie, smallmouth bass, and tullibee. Mill Lacs offers plenty of access along their 74-mile shoreline and has become a popular tourist destination offering plenty of fishing resorts and tour companies in the area.

Lake Vermilion

Lake Vermilion is 40,500 acres of beautiful scenery and has become a famous tourist destination known for its muskie, northern pike, crappie, perch, smallmouth bass, and bluegill. Visit lakevermilion.com for information on peak activity and the best ice fishing hours for each of the winter months.

Gull Lake

The host of North America’s largest ice fishing event - the Ice Fishing Extravaganza - Gull Lake is 9,418 acres and is the most popular fishing lake in the Brainerd Lake Region. Gull is host to the largest walleye, northern pike, and bluegill, as well as largemouth bass, rock bass and crappie population and offers access to ice fishing tour guides, ice house rentals, and ice fishing equipment.

Lake of the Woods

Named one of the most scenic lakes in the country by Minnesota Lakes website, Lake of the woods has over 14,000 islands and stretches over 950,000 acres through Minnesota, Ontario, and Manitoba. Lake of the Woods has over 45 resorts that offer all-inclusive ice fishing tours and specialize in walleye, northern pike, sauger, muskie, rock bass, largemouth bass, lake trout and sturgeon.

The Truth About Winter Dehydration

When people think of dehydration, they think about working out or standing in the blistering heat. If you’re not sweaty, you’re probably not dehydrated, right? Actually, dehydration isn’t just a summer thing. Winter dehydration can often be more dangerous, mainly because not many people know about it or think about it.

It’s pretty simple when you think about it; winter activities also give you a workout and increase your heart rate, but people also tend to drink less water, making the risk of dehydration even higher.  Who wants to carry water when out in the cold? The following are five things you should look out for during the colder months to prevent dehydration:

1. Lowered thirst quench. Cold weather means that your blood vessels constrict, sending blood to the core of your body. This tricks your body into thinking that you are hydrated, when in reality, you may not be.

2. Cold water slows your body’s communication to the kidneys which then tell your body that it does not need to conserve water. This means that your urine production is increased which lowers the water retained in your body.

3. Sweat evaporates faster in cold weather. Because of this, many people don’t think about hydration lost through sweat in the winter.

4. Wearing too much clothing can be a negative. When you wear too much clothing, you are carrying more weight which will make your body work harder, in turn causing you to sweat.

5. The dry air in the winter time can cause dehydration. When you can “see your breath” in the winter you are also losing water vapor. Your skin usually feels over-dry in the winter; this is a telltale sign of dehydration.

Knowing that winter dehydration is a problem is the first step in counteracting its effects. Making sure that you are drinking an adequate amount of water is essential in maintaining a normal water level in your body. If you have other questions about winter dehydration and the benefits of drinking plenty of water, visit our website at mnawwa.org.

Land of 10,000 Lakes, and a Few Amazing Waterparks

Minnesota’s weather is often highlighted in the national news or the latest Hollywood film as nothing but snow, wind and subzero temperatures (and overly illustrative strong accents). Fortunately, we do experience our share of hot and sunny weather. Although we are known as the land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota also has some pretty amazing water parks! Take a look at some of our favorite locations & make a plan to check them out to beat the heat and enjoy the summer.

One of our top water park picks is the Rapid River Lodge & Waterpark in Brainerd.  This water park has a 240-foot body slide, a 240-foot aqua slide, a lazy river, basketball courts and much more!  The lodge also offers many different specials throughout the summer to make it a cheap weekend destination for you and your family.

If you are looking for an outdoor waterpark adventure, Maple Grove has a fantastic option with the Grove Cove!  This aquatic center offers both indoor and outdoor pools for you to cool off in, as well as log-walks, water sprays, and even a tot-walk for the little ones.  Along with the pools & water slides, there are family friendly concessions that everyone in the family will enjoy.  They offer many different specials throughout the summer so make sure to check them out before your next visit.

For those who want to enjoy a water park that is especially family friendly, the Richfield Outdoor Pool includes a wading area with aquatic toys for the younger generations in the family, and wheelchair accessible pools for the older generations.  There are also water volleyball courts for the more athletic members of the family.  Also, the Richfield Outdoor Pool has many different umbrella covered tables for families who may want to enjoy a picnic after a dip in the pool.  As you can see, this pool is family friendly and a must-see this summer!

Yet another great outdoor water park location is Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls. This park includes four different water slides, a lazy river, Wild Adventure Island, and more!  Wild Mountain is also one of the only places in Minnesota to offer an Alpine slide.  This park makes it easy to spend a whole day enjoying the water and the weather.  They also offer go-karting and many other fun outdoor activities that will make you return every summer.

As you can see, Minnesota may be the land of 10,000 lakes, but we also have tons of amazing water parks to enjoy throughout the warm summer months!  Make sure to take advantage of them on the next hot summer day with your friends & family!