ABOVE: Les Anderson (left) holds his Rural Water Association Lifetime Achievement Award next to current Minnesota Rural Water Association Chairman Tom Dowdle (right). Submitted Photo.

FAIRMONT – With 28 years under his belt, Les Anderson was recognized March 25 with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota Rural Water Association.

His interest began after experiencing water difficulties firsthand. Living on a rural Trimont farm during the mid-90s, he and others did not have access to the city water tower and struggled to get clean drinking water.

“We all bought water from town,” Anderson said. “We found out the [water] might be coming in our area. I contacted them. They told us if we got 25 signed up we could get water. We got 25 and they told us 38. We got 40 to the meeting that night and they said, ‘We can’t build it.’ As we were leaving, a state senator came in and he said, ‘I brought money for the water tower.'”

With this experience, Anderson was invited to join the Red Rock Rural Water board for Southwest Minnesota. He said the first few months on the board were intimidating.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” Anderson said. “I was on the board, and it was all old men. Most were beyond their years, and I was the youngest guy there. I felt out of place.”

With Red Rock, Anderson worked on grant applications from the United States Department of Agriculture to continue building more rural water infrastructure. He said this included several trips to Washington, D.C., where he once ran into someone from his past.

“One of the guys out there had been my loan officer when we got rural water [in Trimont],” Anderson said. “He got promoted, went to Washington DC, and we went there to see him. He said, ‘Fill out the application. If your state doesn’t want to send it in, send it anyhow.’ I asked him, ‘How come you’re going to do that?’ He said, ‘If you send the application, I’m the one that approves.'”

As he settled in, tragedy struck in 2000. Anderson suffered a fall, which gave him a brain bleed and clots. Sometime before or after the fall, he also suffered a stroke.

“I was in hospital for six months, and I got a stomach tube,” Anderson said. “It’s hard for me to travel to Washington DC and take my food along. It’s hard for me to make the meetings now, I got to carry the walker with me.”

This didn’t stop Anderson from continuing to make an impact. By 2007, he was assigned to serve on the Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) Board. Different from Red Rock, the MRWA focused more on the training and technical assistance side of rural water.

“The state board is responsible for training and technical assistance,” Anderson said. “The continuing education for all the water and wastewater operators in towns under 10,000 people.”

In addition, MRWA would assist with the repair and replacement of water infrastructure after disasters like tornadoes and offer wellhead protection.

One of Anderson’s biggest roles he landed in 2012, as MRWA’s national director. He was the state group’s representative on the national stage, advocating for it and portioning out USDA funds. Being in a position of this magnitude took proficiency in certain skills.

“You had to be able to communicate,” Anderson said. “That was a big thing, and [efficiently] keep everything moving. Working with politicians was a big thing.”

From 2012 to 2023, he juggled the responsibilities of both MRWA national director and Red Rock board member. Eventually, he felt it to be too much and started the process of retiring. After stepping down from MRWA two years ago, he stayed on with Red Rock to wind down his rural work.

Last week, Anderson resigned from Red Rock Rural Water after attending his last state meeting. Now, he said he is looking to enjoy life.

“Stay alive,” Anderson said. “It’s tough to navigate, but I walk about 5,000 steps a day and ride my bike a half hour.”

Though he figured he would get an award, Anderson said he had no idea how much it would mean to people.

“It was pretty special,” he said. “One of my friends from Iowa came here and spent the day with me because he heard I was getting an award. I worked at Red Rock when he first started. He said I helped him. I don’t know what I did, but I helped him.”

Even now, there are some who struggle to get clean water in Southern Minnesota. Anderson said he would like to see some changes in the EPA.

“The regulations have to relax a bit,” he said. “It’s getting overbearing. The EPA is using their full force.”