The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) recognize Doug Bos from Rock County Rural Water for his exceptional efforts to protect community drinking water sources. Bos received a 2022 Source Water Protection Award from MDH and MRWA.
Preserving quality of drinking water sources is a critical issue in southwest Minnesota, which has limited water resources and nitrate contamination concerns. Bos partnered with local producers, nonprofit organizations and state and federal agencies to develop new easement programs, which place land in permanent protection. These easement programs benefit drinking water quality by reducing nitrate contamination and have now been scaled up statewide. Through this work, Bos has helped secure over 900 acres of perpetual easements.
Bos has also worked extensively with local producers and cooperatives to implement best management practices that benefit groundwater quality on 1,700 acres of land, made possible through Clean Water Fund-supported grants.
“Doug has been one of the key leaders in southwest Minnesota in promoting drinking water protection,” said Aaron Meyer, MRWA Source Water Protection Planner.
MDH Environmental Health Director Tom Hogan commended Bos. “These investments in local relationships and strategic partnerships have yielded many dividends, and their impacts reverberate across the state,” Hogan said.
MDH and MRWA work with public water suppliers and other stakeholders to develop and implement protection plans that include efforts to prevent contamination of the drinking water source. Prevention is used as the first step in protecting public health and is increasingly important as Minnesota faces threats to water quality.
For more information go to doug.schultz@state.mn.uswww.health.state.mn.us Or contact Doug Schultz at
651-201-4993.
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