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April 2016
During
this Water Action Week called by Gov. Mark Dayton, the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) salutes all the communities and industries that have
taken action to greatly decrease phosphorus that causes algae in lakes and streams, including the Mississippi River (photo at right).
Since
2000, Minnesota wastewater treatment facilities have decreased the amount of
phosphorus in their discharges to surface waters by 71 percent, from 1,855
metric tons per year to 544 metric tons, according to the 2016 Pollution Report to the Legislature.
That
sharp decrease stems from a strategy that the MPCA Citizens Board adopted in
2000 to address phosphorus limits in permits.
With
the exception of nitrogen levels, which have remained relatively flat in
wastewater discharges, facilities have also made improvements in the following:
- Total
suspended solids which are particles in wastewater that are often linked to
other pollutants such as metals and nutrients
- Mercury
which is a toxic element that accumulates in fish tissue
- Carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand which is a
measurement of how pollutants can deplete oxygen needed by fish and other
aquatic life
Facilities have managed to make this progress, even
with growing populations and wastewater volumes, by investing in technology,
equipment and training.
“State and local officials will need
to continue their diligence to ensure that municipalities have effective
treatment facilities and capacity for growth, to continue Minnesota’s legacy of
wastewater operator excellence and water quality improvement,” the report
states.
Wastewater
permits are part of the MPCA’s water quality program designed
to protect and improve the state’s rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater so
that they support healthy aquatic communities and designated public uses such
as fishing, swimming and drinking water.
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 Phosphorus has greatly decreased in wastewater discharges across Minnesota since 2000.
The MPCA recently recognized 288
Minnesota wastewater treatment facilities for maintaining a perfect
record of permit compliance during 2015.
MPCA Assistant Commissioner Rebecca Flood had high praise for the
award recipients: “Wastewater operators are at the front lines of
keeping our water clean. We ask a lot of them, and time and again,
they’ve met our expectations. These men and women do good work, and it
shows.”
To be eligible for this recognition, facilities were required to
submit all monitoring reports to the MPCA correctly and on time,
demonstrate consistent compliance through monitoring or surveys and
employ staff certified by the MPCA in wastewater operations.
The awards were presented at the 79th annual Wastewater Operations
Conference in Brooklyn Park. The annual conference brings together
wastewater operators from Minnesota for training and professional
education. In Minnesota, there are about 1,500 municipal and industrial
wastewater treatment facilities. Community, institution or treatment
plant size was not a factor in awarding the certificates.
A complete list of winners is available on the agency's Wastewater page. Pictures of awardees who picked up their awards in person are available on the MPCA's Flickr page.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has
proclaimed April 18-April 22 as Water Action Week. With many Minnesotans
planning events on Earth Day
April 22, Dayton is encouraging action all week to protect and restore the
state’s water resources. The governor will be visiting classrooms and water
treatment facilities to highlight his call for an ethic of clean water
practices.
This is a great time for
local partners to call attention to the work they do every day for Minnesota’s
water resources. The MPCA thanks all the SWCDs, watershed groups, cities and
counties for their input, support and programs to protect and restore water
resources.
The MPCA encourages everyone to "Do One Thing for Water."
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The MPCA is preparing to implement the second phase of its move to a new data and information management system. To prepare
for this move, all MPCA online services will be unavailable from noon on Friday, April 22 to noon on Monday, April 25. We apologize
for any inconvenience this may cause.
When
the second phase of this move is fully implemented, a half dozen new or
redeveloped online services will available, including ones for sewer
extension permitting
and subsurface sewage treatment system business license renewals. Watch
for updates in future uses of On Point.
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Once
online services are back up, keep these tips in mind:
- Permit holders need to complete and submit the
daily values spreadsheet (either the Sample Values Spreadsheet or Operational
Spreadsheet) for the monitoring period.
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Permit holders need to save all their submitted
documents, such as Sample Values, DMR,
Pond Observations spreadsheets and any supporting documentation, to their
computer, an external device, or on paper on site, and readily
available for MPCA review.
Minnesota
Management and Budget (MMB) recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development of an engineering
cost analysis of current and recently adopted, proposed, or anticipated changes
to water quality standards and rules. The selected responder is expected to
have significant experience working with water quality standards and rules. The
cost for this study may not exceed $500,000.
A
copy of the RFP may be obtained by contacting Dennis Munkwitz at MMB by email
at dennis.munkwitz@state.mn.us or phone at 651-201-8004.
Proposals are due on
Monday, June 13, 2016.
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