October 2017
Several wastewater discharge permit holders in the Minnesota River
basin recently received letters announcing the completion of phosphorus limit
reviews for their facilities. These reviews, called “phosphorus memos,” include
new limits for some facilities, as determined by the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) after examining extensive data for the basin.
These reviews are based on river eutrophication water quality standards
adopted by Minnesota in 2014. The standards are designed to
protect rivers from algal blooms harmful to aquatic life and recreation. In
determining effluent limits, the MPCA examines nutrient levels and response
variables that indicate algal growth or potential algal growth.
The agency also looks at each major watershed holistically,
accounting for all contributors of phosphorus within it. Under this approach,
the MPCA sets phosphorous effluent limits for all the watershed's wastewater
facilities at one time, rather than one-by-one as permits come up for
reissuance. This watershed approach ensures that all contributors are doing
their “fair share” of reducing phosphorus. (While the agency sets limits at one
time, any new limits do not take effect until a facility’s permit is reissued.)
The phosphorus memos describe this process in detail,
explaining how the agency determined limits for wastewater facilities.
New
limits for some facilities
Of 269 facilities in the Minnesota River Basin, about 60 will
receive new limits, some more restrictive than their current limits and some
not. The new limits go into effect when the agency reissues a facility’s permit
for discharging wastewater.
The overall impact to mechanical facilities in the basin:
- 70% can meet new limits
- 15% are close to meeting proposed new limits
- 15% need to do something to meet new limits
The overall impact to stabilization ponds in the basin:
- 75% can meet new limits
- 4% are close to meeting proposed new limits
- 21% need to do something to meet new limits
Facilities, most of them owned and operated by cities, have
several tools to meet the new limits:
- Variances to allow time to determine
a solution. (More information about variances will be in future On Point
newsletters.)
- Schedules that allow time to
complete upgrades in equipment and processes.
- Water quality trading, though
current trading systems will likely change. (More information about trading
will be in future On Point newsletters.)
Summary of legal challenges
The MPCA is implementing river standards after several years of hearings and public comments. An administrative law judge approved the rule in 2014 with the MPCA Citizens Board (now defunct) voting twice to recommend adoption. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the standards in 2015. The standards have also survived three court challenges so far. A federal court challenge is still pending, along with a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling that is awaiting the federal decision. Given the initial approval and the subsequent state court decisions, the MPCA is confident the standards will prevail in federal court and is proceeding with implementation as allowed by law.
The agency will provide facilities with phosphorus limit reviews as they are completed, along with holding additional regional meetings (see story about Mankato meeting below).
The mission of the MPCA is to protect and improve the environment and enhance human health. Under the federal Clean Water Act, the MPCA is responsible for issuing permits to limit pollutants in wastewater discharged to lakes, rivers and land.
For more information
If you have questions about the river standards, contact Joel Peck, municipal liaison, at 651-757-2202 or joel.peck@state.mn.us.
Online resources:
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Phosphorus loads and flow volumes: Summaries of annual phosphorus loads and flow volumes discharged from wastewater facilities since 2005. Users may click on individual facilities for details.
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Wastewater data browser: Provides public access to monthly eDMR records. Application is updated quarterly and allows users to either explore or download monitoring data, permit limits, and details about facilities and stations.
The city of Mankato and MPCA hosted a meeting Oct. 18 for
wastewater facilities in the Minnesota River Basin. About 105 wastewater
operators, community representatives and state agency staff took part in the
meeting at Mankato’s government center.
The purpose of the meeting was to share information and
ideas. MPCA staff talked about how the agency is implementing the river
eutrophication and chloride water quality standards. Agency staff also talked
about the future of water quality trading and availability of state financial
assistance.
Mark Winson, Mankato public utilities director, provided his
city’s perspective on protecting the Minnesota River, noting that
implementation of the river eutrophication standards is causing concern among
communities. Concerns include proposed new limits, future of water quality
trading, and a need for a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to
addressing nutrient pollution.
Audience members asked about variances to standards, impact
of agriculture and other nonpoint sources on water quality, and how the MPCA is
determining new effluent limits in permits. They also had a chance to visit
with MPCA staff individually or in small groups about issues specific to their
permits.
If your community would like to host a similar meeting, please
contact
Joel Peck, MPCA municipal liaison, at 651-757-2202 or joel.peck@state.mn.us.
The MPCA thanks all those who attended for their time and comments.
Photo above: Mankato Mayor Eric Anderson welcomes participants to the Oct. 18 meeting on wastewater permits
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Based on suggestions from wastewater treatment facilities,
the MPCA is considering expanding its wastewater
inspection follow-up reports. The agency has used a narrative inspection report
for several years. Other options include a checklist or a hybrid of the
checklist and narrative report. The agency would also like to know when and how
you prefer to receive the inspection reports. Your input will help decide how
to update the process.
Please visit the MPCA website for examples of follow-up
reports: www.pca.state.mn.us/wastewater-inspection-reports-survey
To take the survey, visit this webpage: http://survey.mn.gov/s.asp?k=150816628775
The deadline for taking the survey is Nov. 17. The MPCA will
let facilities know the results and how the MPCA will move forward with
inspection reports via On Point.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Justin
Barrick, MPCA wastewater compliance and enforcement, at 218-316-3858 or justin.barrick@state.mn.us.
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“I was destined to work in wastewater,” says Wendy Turri
with a laugh.
When she was a teen-ager, her father, Arden DeBoer, served as
mayor of her hometown, Lafayette in southcentral
Minnesota. The small town’s wastewater treatment facility was experiencing
problems and people called the DeBoer home to complain about the odors. Mayor
DeBoer had his daughter answer those calls and even visit the wastewater
facility with him to see the problem first-hand.
Little did she know then that wastewater would be her
career. The 30-year MPCA employee recently left the MPCA to take up the reins
as manager of Rochester’s municipal water reclamation plant.
A love of math led Turri to earn a degree in chemistry from Mankato State University. She then worked for the
city of Rochester in its wastewater lab and as pre-treatment coordinator. Five
years later, Turri took a job with the MPCA as a wastewater inspector covering
20 southeast Minnesota counties. She was the first woman to work in a technical
position in the agency’s regional offices. Over the years she was promoted to a
supervisor, and then 14 years ago to manager of the agency’s municipal wastewater
program.
She recalled many proud moments over her years with the
agency.
“I loved everything I did at the MPCA. And the people,”
Turri said. The people included inside and outside the MPCA. “I loved being an
inspector because of the people. Both the communities and the industries care
about what they’re doing.”
Having a fondness for small towns, Turri liked helping
un-sewered communities find a way to implement wastewater treatment. Water
monitoring shows these sewer fixes have helped decrease bacteria counts in many
regional rivers that drain to the Mississippi. She was also proud of the
agency’s work to help southeast Minnesota recover from a devastating flood in
2007. Other standout programs include working with cities to make the most of
grant money and helping canneries figure out better wastewater treatment.
“One of my not so-fond memories is falling into a silage
pond at a cannery,” she said with her trademark laugh.
Turri has also been part of the agency embracing new
technology, along with navigating political and legal challenges. And she liked
how the MPCA has progressed from TMDL studies that focus on one lake and one
stream section at a time to looking at entire watersheds in a holistic way.
As she moves on, Turri’s parting thoughts for her staff and
colleagues are to continue talking with people to figure out problems, treating
all people with respect, and setting a good example. For the MPCA, she set a
great example of innovation, problem-solving, and leadership.
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'No discharge' field
changes
Recently the “No
Discharge” field changed, requiring permit holders to mark an X if “No
discharge/no flow occurred at this station.” The “X” is not case dependent,
meaning it can be upper or lower case. If there was discharge, then the permit
holder leaves it blank. If you have flow and/or data to report for the station, leave
the box blank.
Need to cancel an ‘In
Progress DMR’?
If you have downloaded a
Sample Values Spreadsheet or DMR by mistake and would like to start over, you
can cancel it by:
- Clicking on the “MyWorkspace Tab,” under the “My Services – In Progress” section
- Select the red cancel button on the right side of the page
- Make sure you are canceling out a DMR and not your
facility
Sample values submittal
If a DMR is submitted without the sample values
spreadsheet being submitted first,
the sample values spreadsheet will no longer be available to complete and
submit. Please remember to complete and submit the sample values spreadsheet
for the monitoring period before
completing and submitting the DMRs for the same monitoring period. If you
accidently submit the DMR first, please contact your compliance staff person
for guidance about getting sample values data submitted
No chlorine during the winter?
Leave boxes blank if no chlorine used
When entering data into
spreadsheets: If chlorine is not used, leave the Total Residual Chlorine boxes
blank on both the sample values and DMR spreadsheets, and enter “Chlorine Not
Used” on the DMR comment line. Zero is a value and should not be used
unless there is an actual test result of zero.
More information on DMRs
Additional information is
available on the MPCA DMR webpage.
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At listening sessions held in recent years,
the MPCA heard from wastewater operators that official correspondence from the
agency never made it to their desks. MPCA staff explained that they send
letters to the name and address listed on a facility’s permit, usually a
community’s mayor. To fix that miscommunication, the MPCA now sends letters to
both the mayor and the wastewater operator. Still not getting the mail? Make
sure your compliance
and enforcement officer has your correct contact information.
Amanda Wilken joined the MPCA municipal permit
writer team in September. She works out of the agency’s Brainerd office and is
assigned to counties in the northwest part of the state. As a result, statewide
permitting assignments have adjusted slightly. See the current assignments on the
updated Municipal
Wastewater Permit Assignment map on the MPCA website.
If you have any
questions regarding the assignment changes, please contact the permit writer
assigned to your county.
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The location for the Nov. 2 Pump Workshop, for
wastewater and collection system operators, has changed from Quality Flow
Systems in New Prague. It will now be held at General Repair, 3535
International Drive, Vadnais Heights, 55110. Check-in will still be at
7:30 a.m. with the workshop starting at 8 a.m. Please contact Annaliza
Heesch at 651-757-2591 or annaliza.heesch@state.mn.us if you have any questions.
The
Collection System Basic Seminar will take place Nov. 7-9 at the Embassy Suites
in St. Paul. This seminar is for collection system and wastewater operators who
run and maintain collection systems. The seminar covers pumps, control panels,
traffic control, collection system math, along with operation and maintenance
of collection systems. Exams will be offered on the last day. The seminar registration
form and exam application are on the MPCA
website. Contact Annaliza Heesch at 651-757-2591 or annaliza.heesch@state.mn.us
with questions.
The Wastewater Treatment Technology Seminar
will be held
Dec. 12–14, at the
Embassy Suites in St. Paul. This seminar is recommended for entry-level
operators or as a review for experienced operators. The seminar covers
wastewater terminology, treatment types, phases, wastewater math, sampling,
reporting and safety. Exams will be offered on the last day. If you
wish to take an exam, you must submit a separate exam application by Nov. 29. The
seminar registration form and exam application are on the MPCA
website. Contact Annaliza Heesch at 651-757-2591 or annaliza.heesch@state.mn.us with questions.
The 2018 MPCA Wastewater Training Calendar will soon
be posted on the MPCA Wastewater Training website: www.pca.state.mn.us/water/training-wastewater-operators.
The MPCA will hold the 44th annual Collection System Conference March 19-21, 2018 at the Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park (7025 Northland Drive North, Brooklyn Park, Minn.).
Highlights include:
- SA and SB exam refresher
- SC and SD exam refresher
- Certification examinations
- Vendor and professional organization displays
Other topics include inspection techniques and tools, pipe and manhole rehab, asset management, pumps and lift station tour, electrical generation and controls, infiltration and inflow, condition assessment, odor control and biofilters, working alongside your coworkers, and much more. The conference brochure and registration packet will be available on the MPCA Wastewater Training webpage in January 2018. Exam refreshers require pre-registration (see the registration page of the brochure for details). For more information, contact Annaliza Heesch at 651-757-2591 or annaliza.heesch@state.mn.us.
The MPCA will hold the 81st annual Wastewater Operations Conference March 21-23, 2018 at the Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park (7025 Northland Drive North, Brooklyn Park, Minn.).
Highlights include:
- A & B exam refresher
- C & D exam refresher
- Type IV (biosolids) refresher
- Certification examinations
- Vendor and professional organization displays
- Facility Operational Awards ceremony
Other topics include new plant and/upgrades, aging infrastructure/asset management, flooding challenges and response, emerging issues, facility optimization, industrial wastewater and pretreatment, strategies for optimizing operations, stabilization ponds, safety, LSTS new policies and procedures, and much more. The conference brochure and registration packet will be available on the MPCA Wastewater Training webpage in January 2018. Exam refreshers require pre-registration (see the registration page of the brochure for details). For more information, contact Annaliza Heesch at 651-757-2591 or annaliza.heesch@state.mn.us.
As Minnesota continues its statewide checkup of waters
and lists those failing to meet standards, some good examples of protective and
restorative work are starting to surface.
Water bodies that fail to meet standards are considered
impaired. The impaired waters list represents an assessment of how well lakes
and streams support fishing, swimming, and other beneficial uses. This
assessment is mandated by federal law and requires a cleanup study for each
impaired water body.
Success stories
For the first time, the MPCA is proposing to remove an impairment listing for PCBs. Fish sampled in
the Red River of the North now have PCB levels low enough to meet the standard
for consumption, though some impairments like mercury remain.
Additionally, the MPCA is proposing to remove 9 water
bodies from the list, including the Poplar River in the photo above, because of restorative actions to improve water quality. Some
common restoration actions include stabilizing streambanks, holding back water
long enough to let sediment settle out, and better management of fertilizer.
New lakes, streams added to impaired waters
list
There are of course new impairments proposed for the 2018
list. Highlights include:
- 201 streams and 23 lakes that cannot fully support aquatic life
- 100 streams with elevated bacteria levels
- 55 lakes and streams with high levels of nutrients
- 32 water bodies with mercury levels in fish tissue that are too high to meet standards
- 3 streams that fail to meet the chloride standard designed to protect aquatic life.
Summary of numbers
In all, the number of impaired Minnesota waters on the
draft 2018 impaired waters list totals 5,101 impairments, with 618 new
listings, covering a total of 2,669 water bodies across the state (many water
bodies are impaired by several pollutants). Minnesota is detecting more waters
in trouble because of its 10-year plan to study all 80 major watersheds in the
state, funded by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The MPCA has started
this study in all but a few watersheds.
While scientists find more impairments, the overall
percentage of impaired waters in Minnesota remains at 40%. The other 60% are in
good condition and need protective strategies to stay healthy.
Public meetings
The MPCA will hold four public meetings in November on
the draft 2018 impaired waters list, including the delistings and impairments
proposed. You may attend in person or participate live online by following the
WebEx links below. A public comment period will follow later this year.
For more information about the list, public meetings, or
comment period, contact Miranda Nichols, MPCA research scientist, at miranda.nichols@state.mn.us.
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