Good air quality is essential for a healthy community. While wildfires, vehicle traffic, and industrial activity can affect local air, Rochester residents have tools to stay informed and protect their well-being.

The City of Rochester is part of the Air Quality Alliance (formerly the Rochester Air Network), which provides real-time air quality information from more than a dozen sensors placed throughout the City. The easy-to-use dashboard helps the community monitor local air conditions and make informed decisions year-round.

The Air Quality Alliance is a collaborative effort involving Olmsted County, Destination Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, and the City of Rochester, combining expertise in public health, data analysis, project management, and mapping. This year, the Alliance and its partners are working together to set strategic goals that will expand air quality awareness and guide future public health efforts.

Click here to visit the live dashboard!

Stormwater runoff can carry harmful pollutants like chemicals, oil, and sewage into local waterways such as the Zumbro River. Even small spills or leaks can harm people, wildlife, and drinking water. If you see pollution - chemical spills, sewage leaks, or muddy runoff from construction - report it right away.

Call the City of Rochester Stormwater Hotline at 507-328-2440 (Mon–Fri, 8 AM–5 PM) or Police Non-Emergency Dispatch at 507-328-6800 (evenings/weekends). Share the time, location, and a brief description. Quick action helps prevent bigger problems downstream.

As cities grow, more pavement and rooftops stop rain from soaking into the ground. This increases runoff, which can cause flooding, erosion, and water pollution. You can help manage stormwater at home by keeping rain where it falls.

Try these simple steps:

• Rain gardens or swales: Slow and absorb runoff, filtering out pollutants.
• Rain barrels: Collect rain from your roof for yard watering later.
• Redirect downspouts: Send water to lawns or gardens instead of driveways.

Small actions make a difference. One rain garden, barrel, or redirected downspout helps protect water quality, reduce flooding, and keep your yard healthy. Together, we can keep our neighborhoods cleaner and our rivers safer for everyone.

Learn more: Visit City of Rochester Stormwater. And if you see pollution — report it!

Fats, oils and grease (FOG) is found in food scraps, meat fats, any type of oil, margarine, butter, sauces, any type of nut butter and dairy products. When these items are rinsed off dishes into the sink or ground up in a garbage disposal, they accumulate in wastewater pipes which can clog your plumbing or city sewer lines. Clogs lead to raw sewage back-ups that can damage property and harm the environment. Sewage that backs up on the street can end up directly in the aquatic environment via storm drains.

What can you do? Compost food scraps. After cooking, allow FOG to cool in the pan and then pour or scrape it into the compost or trash. If you own or work at a restaurant, make sure that your facility is managing FOG properly- you owe it to your community and nearby aquatic life!

Olmsted County is making it easier for you to reduce waste with updates to its composting and recycling programs!

Food Scrap Drop-Off Program Extended Launched in June 2024, the food scrap drop-off program has already diverted over 30,000 pounds of waste from the landfill. With strong community support, the program is now extended through December 31, 2025. For $25, residents can purchase a composting kit—available online or at 2122 Campus Drive SE—which includes compostable bags, instructions, waste reduction tips, and access to the drop-off site.

Expanded Plastic Recycling

The Olmsted County Recycling Center Plus now accepts more types of plastic containers marked with #1, #2, or #5, including non-necked containers like berry clamshells, spinach tubs, and deli containers. Previously, only necked bottles were accepted. This change was made possible by improved access to reliable recycling markets. Be sure to rinse containers before recycling.

Learn more: olmstedcounty.gov/residents/environmental-resources

Rochester is proud to be part of Minnesota’s GreenStep Cities program - a voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program that helps cities advance sustainability and quality of life across five steps. Each step reflects progress in areas like energy efficiency, transportation, land use, and environmental management. By tracking and reporting on these efforts, cities can receive recognition for their achievements and share best practices with others across the state.

This year, Rochester achieved both Step 4 and Step 5 - the highest recognition levels in the program! These steps reflect our ongoing efforts to measure and improve our performance across key sustainability metrics.

MnDOT is adding 12 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along interstates 90 and 94 with nearly $10 million in combined state and federal funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. Although the federal program was recently paused, MnDOT secured $4.5 million in federal funds and added $4.7 million in state funds to continue expanding Minnesota’s EV charging network.

Each new station will include at least four high-speed chargers, be open 24/7, and be located within one mile of an interstate exit and no more than 50 miles from the next station. New chargers will be installed in Barnesville, Fergus Falls, Rockville, Lake Elmo, Luverne, Worthington, Jackson, Blue Earth, Albert Lea, Austin, Stewartville, and St. Charles. You can find current EV charging stations on MnDOT’s 511 map.