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June 2019
Minnesota has a growing salty water problem that threatens its freshwater fish and other aquatic life. Chloride from de-icing salt and water softeners gets into lakes, streams and even groundwater. It takes only one teaspoon of salt to pollute five gallons of water. Once in the water, there is no easy way to remove it.
The city of Avon needs to start working to address chloride levels in its wastewater that discharges to Spunk Creek. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will host a public informational meeting on its intent to reissue the city of Avon’s wastewater treatment permit with a water quality standard variance specific to chloride. The meeting will be on Thursday, June 27, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., at Avon City Hall, 140 Stratford Street East.
“Chloride is a tough but extremely important problem to tackle. The purpose of the variance is to give cities like Avon time to study the problem and develop solutions. The MPCA is also developing resources to work with cities on this salty water problem,” said Katrina Kessler, MPCA assistant commissioner for water.
Minnesota has some of the hardest water in the country, which prompts people to use water softeners. Water softeners need salt (which contains chloride) to recharge their softening capacity, and the resulting salty brine is discharged to municipal wastewater treatment plants in most cities. The plants are not designed to remove chloride from wastewater, so the chloride ends up in nearby water bodies, usually a lake or stream.
At the June 27 meeting in Avon, MPCA staff will provide information about the proposed permit and chloride variance, and give citizens the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments.
The draft permit is open for public comment until July 5. It is available for review on the MPCA’s Public Notice webpage, and scrolling to May 6.
For more information about Minnesota’s salty water problem, visit the MPCA’s Chloride 101 webpage.
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The MPCA is reviewing whether existing River Eutrophication Standards (RES) are appropriate for the Minnesota River, or whether a site-specific standard for nutrients is warranted.
While the review is underway, the MPCA will not reissue permits to wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) that discharge to the Minnesota River Basin unless:
- The permit contains language about the possibility of a future site-specific standard and the process for ensuing changes to effluent limits.
- The permittee specifically requests reissuance because of planned construction.
- The permit is for a pond system that qualifies for the wastewater pond general permit (MNG585).
- The permit is needed to address significant non-compliance.
The review could result in confirmation of the appropriateness of existing RES, or it could result in a determination that a site-specific eutrophication standard for the Minnesota River is needed. A site-specific standard could be more stringent than the existing standard, possibly resulting in tighter phosphorus discharge limits for some permittees.
The agency invites permit holders in the Minnesota River Basin to participate in the review by attending meetings, reviewing draft documents, or receiving progress updates.
The MPCA also invites permit holders to discuss challenges to implementing phosphorous limits and options for meeting phosphorus reduction goals. The agency is open to exploring innovative ways to reduce phosphorus, including point source optimization, integrated planning, and adaptive management that may include some kind of trading (both point to point, and point to non-point).
Please note that during the review process, the MPCA will proceed with Total Maximum Daily Load studies that address other non-RES impairments, such as total suspended solids, and address RES in tributaries to the Minnesota River and downstream Lake Pepin.
If you have questions about your permit, the stakeholder process, or the RES review, please contact:
Joel Peck
Municipal Liaison
651-757-2202
joel.peck@state.mn.us
With many communities across Minnesota looking to hire wastewater operators, the MPCA recently produced a video program to help with recruitment efforts. The program, “Jobs with benefits: Helping people, helping the environment,” is available on the Minnesota Wastewater Operators Association website: www.mwoa.net/html/careers.html.
The goal of the program is to demonstrate the important role that wastewater operators play in protecting the environment.
The agency thanks the operators who were good sports about being interviewed on camera: Wendy Turri, manager of the Rochester Water Reclamation Plant; Robert Mierau, wastewater operator for the city of Mabel; Thatee Yang, plant operator, and Jay Sockness, plant manager, for Met Council Environmental Services; and Natalie Carroll, wastewater operator for the cities of Dexter and Brownsdale.
As Turri said, “It’s sort of the unsung hero profession. Nobody understands how complicated it is, and how interesting it is. There’s a lot of biology, a lot of chemistry. It takes a lot to clean up the water.”
Mierau said, “A wastewater operator is really a critical, vital asset to the community, in a lot of regards.”
The MPCA encourages all communities to post a link to the program on their websites or run it on their cable access channels, especially if recruiting wastewater treatment staff.
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July 16 workshop canceled: The Biological Nutrient Removal Workshop scheduled for July 16 at St. Cloud has been canceled due to low registration numbers. Those interested in this topic may register for the Water Environment Federation (WEF) - Nutrient Removal and Recovery Symposium 2019. Visit the WEF website for more Information and registration guidance. www.wef.org/nutrients.
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Aug. 13-15: A Wastewater Treatment Basic Class will be offered Aug. 13-15 at the Holiday Inn and Suites in St. Cloud.
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Sept. 10-12: A Type IV Biosolids Basic Class will be offered Sept.10-12, also at the Holiday Inn and Suites in St. Cloud.
For details and registration information, see the 2019 MPCA Wastewater Operator Training Calendar on the MPCA website: www.pca.state.mn.us/water/wastewater-operators-training-and-certification.
The MPCA sent a survey to all those who attended its Annual Collection System and Wastewater Operators Conferences in March. More than 100 people responded, providing these key takeaways:
- The agency reduced the collection system exam refreshers to a day-and-a-half, and that was unpopular. Based on that input, the exam refreshers will return to a two-day format in 2020 with collection system exams on Wednesday like in the past.
- Respondents overwhelmingly favored the new Award Ceremony open house format. The MPCA changed the format based on 2018 input. The open house format will return in 2020, with additional logistical improvements such as adding tables and better traffic flow.
- The vendor show was popular. Most people stated that they enjoyed speaking with vendors and industry representatives, and that there was a good array of products and services.
- Respondents widely regarded the presentations and programming at the 2019 as “useful.”
The 2020 Conference Planning Committee will use the detailed responses to plan and deliver high-quality programming at next year’s events. If you would like to join the planning team for 2020, the annual planning meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 10 at the Minneapolis Marriott NW. Contact Annaliza Heesch (annaliza.heesch@state.mn.us) for further information.
Thank you to all who attended the conferences and responded to the survey.
Wastewater permit holders can now submit most contact updates, such as new phone numbers, by email to the NPDES program.
Please follow these steps:
The exceptions to this new electronic submittal process: Adding or removing online subscribers. These requests must still be submitted as paper copies to:
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Attention: MPCA e-Services
520 Lafayette Road North
St. Paul, MN 55155-4194
Use the following forms:
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Did you know the MPCA has a variety of guidance materials available to help keep your facility in compliance?
The MPCA’s wastewater compliance and facility operations webpage has a variety of tools designed to keep your facility in compliance. Examples include:
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Stabilization Pond Manual: If your facility operates wastewater ponds, this is a one-stop shop for all things wastewater ponds.
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Biological Nutrient Removal: If you have a mechanical wastewater treatment system, use this guidance to help troubleshoot and identify optimization opportunities.
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Collection Systems: This offers a wide range of guidance, including information on the routine operation and maintenance of your collection system. It includes a number of spreadsheets to assist in performing calculations and equipment calibrations. It also includes preventative measures your facility can take to avoid common violations the MPCA encounters.
If you have an idea or suggestion that you think would help your facility and others stay in compliance, please contact your MPCA compliance officer.
Below are some storm season reminders for wastewater treatment facilities:
- Ensure all back-up power systems are routinely tested and being maintained.
- Do you have seasonal operations strategies that need to be reviewed and discussed? For example:
- Standard operating procedure for operating an oxidation ditch in flow-through mode
- Ensuring optimal capacity in stabilization ponds going into July and August
- Consider having extra sample bottles onsite in case of a release or sanitary sewer overflow.
Please take time to review your facility and ask yourself if any aspect of the wastewater treatment system, including the collection system, requires attention to be storm-ready.
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To be eligible to take a certification exam, you must have hands-on experience in wastewater facility operations. Exam application fees are nonrefundable even if the agency determines you are ineligible to take the exam. See the eligibility requirements on the MPCA website: www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/wq-wwtp8-13.pdf. The exam application can be found on the MPCA training and certification website: www.pca.state.mn.us/water/wastewater-operators-training-and-certification.
On the applications:
- Make sure to type or print neatly in blue or black ink.
- Complete both sides of the application, then sign and date it.
- Please be sure to provide a current email address for all notifications concerning exam session and exam scores.
- The application fee must be included or the application will be returned.
- Applications must be postmarked at least 15 days before the exam date.
- Incomplete applications will be returned.
- Read the Tennessen Warning about your rights and information you submit.
After 31 years at the MPCA, Bill Priebe will retire from the agency in early July. Throughout his career at the MPCA, Priebe worked with the Municipal Wastewater Permitting Program, first as a permit engineer, and later as a supervisor for the Metro Region. For someone with interests in water quality, this turned out to be a good fit.
Prior to the MPCA, Priebe worked with Black & Veatch Engineering, the University of North Dakota, Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Forest Service. He says that working for the MPCA was by far the best, and while it’s sad to leave, it’s never too late to try something new.
Priebe wants co-workers and wastewater industry professionals to know how much he has enjoyed working with them, and that their conversations, support, and friendships will be missed. He also appreciates and respects the work they do. “Keep up the good work and thanks for everything,” he said. The MPCA will miss him too.
The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) recently approved financing for the following projects:
- Winnebago in Faribault: $5.5 million toward the replacement of sanitary sewer and water mains in the northwest part of the city.
- Sacred Heart in Renville County: $1.6 million for rehabilitating the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
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