Fact Sheet at a Glance
Fall Seasonal Shutdown: Is Your Water System Ready for Winter?
Proper maintenance increases the longevity of a water system and reduces water quality problems that can lead to dissatisfied customers and regulatory issues. Fall is a good time for maintenance whether you are a seasonal or year-round system.
Seasonal Water System Shutdown Guidance
Completing shutdown procedures for seasonal water systems, or those systems that depressurize portions of the distribution, will help you reduce the risk of contamination and of other potential issues that could delay start up next season. Shutdown is an opportune time for a thorough examination of the system’s physical components. Repairs can be accomplished more easily during shutdown without being an imposition on your customers. Recommended steps for seasonal water system shutdown, system inspection, depressurizing, and system protection can be found by referring to Seasonal Water System Shutdown Guidance (PDF). Contact your sanitarian or engineer if you have questions about seasonal shutdown procedures.
Before the Freeze, Winterize!
For those hearty souls who operate year-round instead of seasonally shutting down, the fall season can still be a good time for the system inspection and applicable protection and maintenance described in the shutdown guidance (including fixing leaks; cleaning and disinfecting non-pressurized storage tanks; flushing sediment from water heaters, and ensuring wellhead protection is in place for the winter). Here are some additional tips for winterizing your system. The following information is adapted from The Well Owners Network Winter 2022 newsletter.
For inside a building:
▪ When in doubt drip your faucets.
Leave faucets dripping slightly overnight in extremely cold weather. This slight trickle allows constant movement of the water which will prevent freezing. Remember more water is wasted from a frozen pipe that burst than from using this tip! You can still save the water you are dripping; just place a bucket or large pot under the faucet. You can use that water to flush the toilet in a power outage or water plants. CAUTION: If your septic line draining to the tank is prone to freezing, this dripping water must be captured and not allowed to drain.
▪ Mark and remember where your main shut-off valve is.
Knowing where this valve is during a water pipe burst can prevent flooding or water damage. Valves should be exercised (open and closed) periodically to ensure they can function in the case of an emergency.
For outside:
▪ Protect your pipes.
▪ Winterize your irrigation system.
For information on winterizing your irrigation system contact your irrigation company.
A few tips from MDH:
▪ Know your distribution system.
Map, label, and document the system. Become familiar with where all the shutoff valves are. Adding additional valves to different lines of a distribution system can aid in maintaining pressure should leaks occur.
▪ Consider electronic freeze and leak protection sensors.
A variety of small sensors to monitor temperature or detect water leaks are designed to connect with your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Early warning for any problems with your system can prevent pipe bursts or flooding. Sensors can be useful in pumphouses, kitchens, and basements, and may be set up to shut off your main supply automatically when a leak is detected.
▪ Ensure wellhead protection is in place for the winter.
Place posts around the well to protect the wellhead from snowplows and vehicles when covered with snow. Consider adding a fiberglass driveway marker to help with locating the well.
▪ If heat tape is needed for water lines, be sure all electrical and plumbing codes are followed.
▪ Be careful if heating a well house.
Make sure all electrical codes are followed.
▪ Drain outdoor taps and blow out lines as needed.
Many backflow preventers are not to be removed. Lines with non-removeable backflow preventers must be blown out using an oil-less air compressor.
Minnesota Rural Water Association Training/Resources
Class E (8 a.m. – noon)
Jan. 8, 2026
Big Lake City Hall, Council Chambers
160 Lake St. N., Big Lake, MN
March 4, 2026
Best Western/Kelly Inn, University A Room
100 Fourth Ave. S., St. Cloud, MN
April 21, 2026
Ramsey City Hall, Alexander Ramsey Room
7550 Sunwood Drive NW, Ramsey, MN
May 7, 2026
Morrison County Government Center, Board Room
213 First Ave. SE, Little Falls, MN
Class D (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
April 8, 2026
Detroit Lakes City Hall, Training Room (West Door, Door B)
1025 Roosevelt Ave., Detroit Lakes, MN
May 12, 2026
Forest Lake Community Center, Community Room
1408 Lake St. S., Forest Lake, MN
Online Training Classes (10 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
December 2025 and January 2026, dates and topics to be determined.
Source Water Protection Grants
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has launched a new online system for applying for source water protection (SWP) grants. The new database, called Fluxx, allows for streamlining of the grants application process. Applicants can track progress of their grants online, collaborate with MDH staff or others on their application, save an application online and come back to it, complete reporting requirements, and more. Many helpful resources including video tutorials are available at Source Water Protection Grants. You can access the new system by visiting MDH.Fluxx.io.
MDH encourages applicants to register early and give themselves plenty of time to apply.
|
Orientation to Operator Certification: Class D Certification for Small Systems
by Jennifer Koenig
I have been working for Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) since 2001, and have met some very fun and interesting people during my travels. I work with nontransient noncommunity public water systems, which include places like schools, businesses, daycare facilities and factories. Most of these systems are classified as Class E systems, but there are a number of Class D systems and a few Class C systems. For this orientation to Operator Certification, let's focus on what constitutes Class D and E public water systems.
Class D
A small groundwater system that has chemical addition, uses treatment processes, OR has a population greater than 500.
Class E
A groundwater system that has a population under 500 and does not add chemicals or have any type of treatment (i.e. such as arsenic, radium, or nitrate removal) for State of Minnesota compliance.
In the past few years, several of the operations specialists that I met when I first started working for MRWA have retired or are getting ready to retire soon. Many of the operations specialists that have retired recently made sure to get another operations specialist certified prior to their retirement. Others did not! Let’s review the requirements for getting certified.
Minimum Requirements to Apply for Certification for Class D and E Operations Specialists
• Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Class D applicants must have at least one year of experience in the operation of a Class A, B, C, or D system.
• Class E applicants must have at least three months of experience in the operation of a Class A, B, C, D, or E system.
As you can see, getting certified as a Class D water operations specialist is tougher than Class E because it requires more water operations experience and more knowledge about water operations. This is why it’s important to plan ahead when you need to get an operations specialist certified at the Class D level (or higher). For those of you who are planning on retiring soon, it is a good idea to get a plan in place on who will get certified and when they need to take the exam.
Application Process
• Complete and mail an exam application to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) with the $32 exam fee. The application deadline is 15 days prior to the exam date.
• Pass an exam prepared by MDH. Upon notification of passing the exam, pay the $23 certificate issuance fee.
• Upon receiving the issuance fee, MDH will issue the certificate.
Study Materials
There is a Class D Study Guide available for operations specialists who are planning on taking the Class D exam. Throughout the year, there are some exam prep classes offered for operations specialists looking for some help in studying for the exam. There are one-day and two-day classes available. The exam is given on the day after the exam prep class. These classes are offered by MRWA and the Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association. I would strongly encourage any operations specialist planning on taking the Class D exam to start studying as soon as possible. Don’t wait to study until the week before the exam!
Please feel free to contact me, Jennifer Koenig, at 800-367-6792 if you would like more information about getting a new operations specialist certified at any level. You can also contact Noel Hansen, MDH Certification Officer, at 651-201-4690 for more information. Water operators who have questions about their certification status should reach out to Noel Hansen at 651-201-4690 or noel.hansen@state.mn.us.
The MDH Water Operator Certification and Training website also has more information, including the exam application, upcoming exam dates and information on contract operations.
Welcome to New Staff
Ashley Swenson has moved into the position of Transient Noncommunity Compliance Officer in Drinking Water Protection (DWP). She assumed the role as the Transient Compliance Officer for the northern section of the state as of Oct. 22. As many of you may know, Ashley previously was a Noncommunity Field Sanitarian out of the Mankato District Office for the last 4 years.
Please take the time to congratulate Ashley as she starts her new role in DWP.
|
|
