During a medical emergency, timing is everything – especially if the incident occurs outdoors when it's 10 degrees below zero. Last month, Empire Plant staff proved their readiness to respond after someone fell and broke a leg just 6 feet from the guard shack.

Security guard Arnie Solovjovs called for an ambulance and notified plant personnel about the situation. In response, two Empire employees (pictured at right) – Melissa Maxa, then a plant operator and now an environmental scientist, and Ray Donohoe, business unit coordinator – came to the scene immediately to assist the injured individual. Unable to move from the frozen ground, he needed to keep warm until the ambulance arrived.

Maxa did her best to keep him comfortable with warm blankets, and she and Donohoe waited with him until he was taken to the hospital. To help prevent further accidents, they added more sand and salt to the area where the incident occurred.

Maxa is a member of the Met Council's Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT). Every MERT member receives certified emergency medical responder training. This gives them the basic knowledge and skills to provide lifesaving interventions while awaiting additional emergency medical response.

"Our all-volunteer MERT program provides an additional layer of protection to all of our MCES employees," said Tim Morrell, acting manager, Environmental Health and Safety. "The MERT members take on additional training so they can assist in the event one of their coworkers needs help. It is commendable and appreciated by everyone in the division."

"A special thanks to Arnie, Melissa, and Ray for their quick response and calm demeanor during this difficult situation," said Colton Janes, East Business Unit manager. "And, a big thanks to all those folks who are MERT trained."

To learn more about the MERT program, including how to join, visit the MERT page on MetNet.

As the Twin Cities metropolitan area population grows, the demand for water increases as well. "Although our aquifers are being continually recharged through precipitation, they are still sensitive to water level decreases in some locations," said Brian Davis, principal engineer, Water Supply Planning. "It's important that we take steps to reduce demand on our aquifers to ensure a sustainable water supply."

One way MCES is working to preserve the local water supply is through our water efficiency grant program. Through this program, cities and townships can receive up to $50,000 to reduce costs for residents, commercial properties, and government facilities that upgrade to water-efficient toilets, washing machines, dishwashers, irrigation controllers, and more.

"This program is an excellent way for communities in the metro area to become more efficient with their water use," said Davis. "We've estimated that the program has saved up to 450 million gallons of water since its inception in 2015."

For communities that take advantage of the program, the benefits can be far reaching – including financial savings related to infrastructure projects. Davis uses the example of a growing city that projects it will need four new wells by 2040 to meet increasing water demand.

"If this city invests in replacing irrigation controllers and other improvements, they could decrease the number of wells needed in 2040 to two," said Davis. "The city could save around half a million dollars by eliminating the need for two of those future wells."

MCES has received national attention for our water efficiency grant program, winning a 2021 WaterSense Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of our dedication to helping consumers and businesses save money. Learn more about the program on our website.

1. Collaboration and capacity building
2. System assessment
3. Mitigation measure evaluation
4. Plans

Eight conditions that define regional water sustainability were also highlighted in the report (see graphic at right).

"The report provides concrete, actionable recommendations," said Emily Steinweg, senior engineer, Water Supply Planning. "It will be used to better inform legislators and influencers to develop and implement policies that ensure a sustainable water supply for the region."

MAWSAC – facilitated by MCES staff – includes representatives of the 11-county metro area and several state agencies, and provides crucial advice and assistance to the Met Council related to our water supply planning efforts.

"Compared to other Met Council advisory committees, MAWSAC is pretty unique," said Lanya Ross, environmental analyst, Water Supply Planning. "In addition to community and utility perspectives from across the seven counties, we also have members from four upstream counties (Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne, and Wright) and all the state's water agencies. Our work – and the Met Council's – really benefits from their pooled expertise as we work on more and more complex water problems."

Ross emphasized the collaborative nature of the report development process, even with the shift to online meetings. "We had great commitment and leadership from our MAWSAC chair Wendy Wulff (Metropolitan Council member) and Technical Advisory Committee chair Mark Maloney (city of Shoreview)," she said.

"I'd also like to give a shout out to the report writing team," she continued. "Emily Steinweg, of course, and also Henry McCarthy, environmental scientist, along with Deb McKinley, manager, Programs and Administration." Other key support was provided by Water Supply Planning manager Ali Elhassan, as well as Jeanne Landkamer and Linda Jones from RA Communications.

Learn more about MAWSAC on our website.

Lake Pepin study featured

MCES launched one of the studies referenced in the book in response to severe algal blooms that appeared in Lake Pepin during a prolonged drought in summer 1988 (see photo at right, courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources). The algal blooms caused unsightly surface scum, unpleasant odors, low oxygen levels, and localized fish kills. These were all symptoms of a complex underlying problem related to excessive nutrients, primarily phosphorus, in the system.

If excess phosphorus was degrading water quality in Lake Pepin and the Mississippi River, how much of a reduction would be needed, and from what sources? To answer these questions and others, MCES collected and analyzed hundreds of samples from both waterbodies. The data was used in complex computer models to get a better picture of the complex phosphorus dynamics under various flow conditions.

Some of the main sources of phosphorus came from point (specific) sources, such as wastewater treatment plants, nonpoint sources, such as agricultural runoff, as well as from internal sources stored in the sediment from years past. Results from this and other related studies led to widespread efforts by MCES and other public agencies to reduce phosphorus across the basin.

For example, stricter wastewater treatment plant permit limits resulted in reduced point source phosphorus contributions. "Metro Plant effluent phosphorus limits dropped from 4 mg/l in the 1990s down to 1 mg/l by the end of 2003," said Tim Pattock, senior environmental scientist, Water Resources. "And from 1992 to 2015, total phosphorus concentrations in the Mississippi River Lock and Dam No. 2 in Hastings have gone down 45%!"

Although the initial work happened decades ago, insights from these studies continue to inform water resource planning and drive water quality improvements throughout the region. "This pivotal work continues to drive and support our activities today," said Sventek. "We've made a lot of improvements in reducing phosphorus from point sources in response to these studies – but we still have a way to go in addressing nonpoint sources in order to best protect our water resources."

Event details: 
Date: Feb. 23  
Time: noon to 1 p.m.
Webex: use this link to join   

For a calendar invitation, email Suidi Hashi at Suidi.Hashi@metc.state.mn.us.

Visit MetNet to learn more about Jacobs.