April 2018
The city
of Morgan in Redwood County is undertaking a $20.5 million water infrastructure
project. Last year, it replaced its old and inefficient mechanical plant for
wastewater treatment with a three-cell
wastewater stabilization pond treatment facility. The ponds have been in operation since November 2017. Now
the city is getting ready to replace 100% of its sanitary sewer lines and 95%
of its water mains.
U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development grants are helping fund the project,
along with a loan that the city will pay off through gradual increases in user
rates.
This city of 900 people
experiences severe inflow and infiltration problems that the new infrastructure
should significantly reduce. It decided on a pond system because it was more cost-effective
than trying to rehabilitate its mechanical plant. The plant was built in 1954
and last upgraded in 1989. The 40-acre pond
system northwest of town will discharge treated wastewater to Redwood County
Ditch 109 in spring and/or fall each year. The
city designed the project to avoid discharging from June 1 through Sept. 30 of
each year. Morgan also built a lift station and force main to carry
wastewater to the new facility.
“The
residents know that we needed to do something and most are on board. The
council and Bolton & Menk were involved in making the necessary decisions,”
said Dwane Jemmings, wastewater operator for Morgan.
Paul Kimman, a municipal wastewater supervisor with the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), said, “This is a huge undertaking for a
small town. Hats off to Morgan for tackling such a big project, and working to
resolve their inflow and infiltrations issues that resulted in many
wastewater releases during wet weather.”
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The MPCA hosted the 44th annual
Collection Systems Conference and the 81st annual Wastewater Operations
Conference the week of March 19-23 at the Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn
Park. A broad spectrum of informative and timely topics was on the agenda
this year, enabling wastewater professionals to hone their skills, gain
educational hours, and optimize their systems and facilities.
More than 900 people attended one
or both conferences, an attendance increase of 8% from last year for the
Collection Systems Conference and 11% for the Wastewater Operations Conference.
These are the highest attendance numbers since 2011 for the two
conferences. The Vendor and Professional Organization Displays Exhibition
featured 55 exhibits, up 16% from last year. Thank you to the attendees, the
planning committee, developers, speakers, exhibitors, and all others whose
contributions helped make the conferences a success.
For more information about
Operator Training and Certification, please visit this MPCA website page: www.pca.state.mn.us/water/wastewater-operators-training-and-certification. Or
go to www.pca.state.mn.us and search
for “mpca wastewater training.”
The MPCA recently
recognized 295 Minnesota wastewater treatment facilities for maintaining
outstanding permit compliance from October 2016 through September 2017.
Shannon Lotthammer, assistant
MPCA commissioner of water policy, presented the certificates and praised award
recipients for their persistent work and dedication to protecting water
quality. (Photo at right is Lotthammer with a representative from the city of Bemidji.)
To be eligible for
this recognition, facilities were required to submit all reports to the MPCA
correctly and on time; demonstrate consistent compliance through monitoring,
operations, and maintenance; and employ staff certified by the MPCA in
wastewater operations.
Awards were presented
at the 81st Annual Wastewater Operations Conference in Brooklyn Park. A
complete list of winners is available on the Agency's Wastewater webpage.
Photos of award recipients who picked up their awards in person are available
on the MPCA's Flickr page. (Cathy
Rofshus, public information officer with the MPCA, is also posting the
photos on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CatMPCA.)
Awards that were not accepted in person were mailed to the permit holder.
The MPCA also issued a press
release on the awards that cities may customize for their local media.
Congratulations to
all recipients!
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In March 2016, the MPCA launched
the wastewater
data browser tool on its website. The data reported in discharge monitoring
reports (DMR) is the source for the data in the tool. Because DMR data reported
to the MPCA is made available to the public, it is important to ensure that the
data reported is accurate. Below are a few items to consider to ensure that consistently
accurate data is reported to the MPCA.
- Take time to perform quality assurance checks. For example, have multiple sets of eyes review DMR data prior to submittal.
- Data entry and transcribing. For example, be mindful of decimal placement and significant figures.
- Data calculations. For example, laboratory results and DMRs units may not always be the same. Ensure data is reported in the units required by the permit.
If you discover inaccurate data
has been reported, please perform a DMR amendment.
If you have questions or need
help, please contact your MPCA
compliance and enforcement officer or visit the MPCA DMR webpage.
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The MPCA has promoted Paul Kimman to southeast-southwest
regional supervisor for municipal wastewater. Theresa Haugen, now supervisor
of industrial water quality permits, previously held this position.
Kimman, in the photo at right, holds a degree in environmental
studies with a minor in biology from Bemidji State University in Minnesota. He has
been with the MPCA for a little more than 11 years. Kimman started his career
in the solid waste and hazardous waste programs, and then spent the last 4
years in compliance and enforcement for the wastewater point source program. He
is known for his personal communications skills, prompt responsiveness and hard
work ethic.
Kimman looks forward to working with municipalities, NPDES staff, and external stakeholders on municipal
wastewater issues in the southeast and southwest regions of the state. He works
out of the Marshall
office, and can be reached at 507-476-4270 or paul.kimman@state.mn.us.
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The Minnesota Dept. of Employment and
Economic Development (DEED) recently awarded the following grants for
infrastructure projects in greater Minnesota:
- The city of North Mankato received $394,209 to expand the North Port Industrial Park. Utility extensions will provide storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water services for an additional 50 acres of speculative industrial park space owned by the North Mankato Port Authority.
- The city of Otsego received $704,724 to assist with the extension of water and sewer service to create a 77-acre industrial park and facilitate a business expansion.
- The city of Thief River Falls was
awarded $1.6 million for public infrastructure necessary to expand Digi-Key
Corp. The expansion includes a 700,000-square-foot building. This project
supports utility extensions, roads and other public improvements related to the
expansion.
Under this program, DEED awards grants
for 50% of the cost of public infrastructure that supports economic development
outside the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. Eligible public infrastructure
includes wastewater collection and treatment, drinking water, storm sewers,
utility extensions and streets. For details, visit the DEED website: Greater Minnesota Business Development
Public Infrastructure Grant Program.
Spring is known as flood season for many wastewater
treatment facilities. Make sure you are prepared by having spare pumps,
generators, sand bags, and other equipment on hand, along with spare sample
bottles in case of an unplanned release. Every wastewater permit issued by the
MPCA includes requirements to maintain appropriate backup equipment and to
collect representative samples of an unplanned release of wastewater.
Note on sample bottles
Many wastewater facilities receive sample bottles from
contract laboratories which in turn are shipped back to the lab for analysis.
Wastewater facilities should make sure they have enough spare sample bottles on
hand, which may require contacting the lab to make arrangements. Please note
that some sample bottles and/or preservatives may have expiration dates. So
check bottle expiration dates at least twice per year and ask the lab how to
store the bottles to maximize their use time.
Facilities should be prepared to analyze a release minimally
for total suspended solids, fecal coliform and the other parameters listed on this
MPCA wastewater release sampling report. Note that your facility’s
specific permit may require parameters to be analyzed in addition to those
listed on the form.
Is it an overflow or a bypass? A refresher on terms
- Release: A release is any overflow or spill of wastewater or materials to the environment.
- Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO): A release occurring from a sanitary sewer collection.
- Bypass: A bypass is the intentional diversion of a waste stream from any portion of your treatment facility. Examples of bypasses
include diverting the flow of wastewater around a clarifier or de-chlorination
system. Bypass wastewater must enter waters of the state from outfalls
specially authorized by the facility’s permit and cannot, by law, cause an
effluent limit exceedance.
If you must bypass/release
If a bypass or release is the only alternative, remember
that you are obligated to:
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Immediately contact the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451. If you need assistance or advice from the MPCA, you can inform the Minnesota Duty Officer or contact the MPCA directly. WWTF staff is often required to perform many tasks upon discovery of a release so it may be useful to designate a person to make a preliminary Duty Officer notification for the bypass/release. A final notification, with supplemental information, could then be made to the Duty Officer once all bypass/release details are obtained.
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Discontinue the bypass/release as soon as possible. If a bypass/release is expected to last for more than a day or two, contact your MPCA representative to keep them informed of your status and to discuss sampling requirements.
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Recover all substances and materials. In a flood situation this may not be possible, but a reasonable effort should be made to recover substances and materials to minimize human health and environmental impacts.
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Collect representative sample(s) of the bypass/release. WWTFs
should have sampling kits available to perform sampling requirements.
Resources on flooding preparation and response
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Once the weather warms up, hundreds of volunteers across Minnesota will head out to their lake or stream to measure its clarity. By collecting data for the MPCA, these volunteers provide valuable information for protecting or restoring their waters.
The agency uses the data to help determine if lakes and streams are meeting water quality standards designed to protect aquatic life and recreation like fish and swimming. If so, these waters are candidates for protective strategies. If not, then studies may follow to determine the pollutants, sources of those pollutants, and ways to reduce them.
Through the Citizen Monitoring Program, volunteers do a simple water clarity test in their favorite body of water twice a month during the summer. Lake monitors boat or paddle to a designated spot to check the clarity, while stream monitors may walk, bike or drive to the water or a bridge over it.
More than 1,300 citizen monitors gather data for the MPCA, but more are needed to reach the 69,000 miles of rivers and more than 12,000 lakes in the state. The MPCA provides equipment and training, and no experience is needed. For some waters, citizen data is the only data available.
Many volunteers go beyond collecting data:
- In Hennepin County in the Twin Cities area, Sean Connaughty (photo above) coordinates an annual cleanup of Lake Hiawatha. Over the past three years, he and others have logged 879 hours of volunteer time removing 4,500 pounds of trash from the lake.
- For Lake Washington in Le Sueur County in southern Minnesota, Pam Olson initiated a project in an upstream wetland to slow the movement of water during rain events and let sediments settle out before the water flows into the lake.
- In Anoka County in the Twin Cities area, Wayne LeBlanc helped establish a no-wake zone surrounding a shallow sensitive area on Peltier Lake.
- Richard Heimkes in Polk County in west-central Minnesota has long advocated for Gilchrist Lake and other waters in Minnesota through work with land management boards.
To join this volunteer effort, use the MPCA’s interactive map to find out if your favorite lake or stream needs monitoring: www.pca.state.mn.us/water/find-site-and-sign. To learn more and sign up, visit the Citizen Water Monitoring Program webpage at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/citizen-water-monitoring, or call 651-296-6300 (Twin Cities) or 1-800-657-3864 (Greater Minnesota).
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