Hibbing Public Utilities to host Jan. 12 town hall on lead in water

HIBBING — Hibbing Public Utilities will host a town hall meeting Monday, Jan. 12, to provide important information about recent lead testing results, health impacts and the utility’s efforts to reduce lead exposure in the community.

The event will take place 6 p.m. in the Little Theater of the Hibbing Memorial Building, 400 E. 23rd St.

In late October 2025, HPU issued a lead action level notice after completion of required annual lead and copper testing. While the notification was distributed systemwide, elevated lead levels are not citywide and vary from building to building based on individual service lines and plumbing materials, HPU reported.

“Communities all across the country are confronting the issue of lead right now,” stated James Bayliss, HPU Commission chair, in a news release. “As HPU works to address it, we want to hear directly from the residents we serve. It is our responsibility not just to address these issues, but answer questions, address concerns, and communicate a clear path forward to eliminate this risk from our community.”

Leaders plan to accomplish three primary goals by hosting the town hall: to inform residents about lead testing results and what they mean; to provide practical steps to reduce personal exposure to lead; and to present HPU’s systemwide response to identify and eliminate sources of lead in Hibbing’s water system.

The meeting will also feature informational tables by the Minnesota Department of Health, St. Louis County Public Health and HPU. A formal presentation will begin with the presenting organizations and will conclude with a Q&A session. Opportunities for additional one-on-one conversations with each organization will be available at the tables or with presenters after the presentation.

In response to the lead exceedance level, HPU reported it is pursuing a “uniquely aggressive” series of projects to identify and permanently remove sources of lead from Hibbing’s drinking water system.

These projects include the continuation of HPU’s service line inventory, targeted exploratory digs to identify service line materials, the implementation of corrosion control to HPU’s water treatment process and targeted water main replacement to remove lead service lines from areas with a high lead density.

Contact HPU at info@hpuc.com or 218-262-7700 to schedule an inspection to find out if you have a lead service line in your home. You can also use the Minnesota Department of Health’s Lead Service Line Inventory Tool at maps.umn.edu/LSL.

You can request water testing through HPU or a Minnesota Department of Health-accredited laboratory. Visit the Minnesota Department of Health Lab Search Tool for a list of certified labs that provide sample containers and instructions. If your test results show high lead levels, you can find treatment guidance here: Home Water Treatment Options.