The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is the state authority for drinking water. Several programs at MDH work together to ensure safe and adequate drinking water. One of the ways MDH does this is by protecting drinking water at the source. The Source Water Protection Unit assesses the vulnerability of water sources to contamination. They develop protection areas for drinking water sources, shown in this map. They also help communities plan and implement activities in these areas to prevent contamination. The spatial data shown on this map are available for download on the Minnesota Geocommons.