From the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources April 2014 Snapshots

Cook County is known by many as the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a pristine treasure of natural resources. The reputation is well-earned, as demonstrated by the thousands of people who visit the area on an annual basis. Minimizing developmental impact on those resources is a priority, and Cook County and the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are working hard to keep the lakes, rivers and streams that crisscross the land in top shape. As part of that work and consistent with the Cook County Water Plan, the county has identified septic inspections as a priority.

In a region where 91% of the land is public, the privately-held development is heavily clustered around shoreland areas. Using funding from a CWF grant, the SWCD has partnered with the Cook County Planning and Zoning Department to target three lakes, Tom Lake, Greenwood Lake, and McFarland Lake, where development pressure is high, for Subsurface Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) inspections. Monitoring data has shown two of those lakes, Tom and Greenwood, have a declining water quality trend. Without these funds, SSTS inspections wouldn’t occur unless there was new construction or voluntary upgrades.

Based on the results of the inspection program, the risk to these lakes is very real. For example, at Tom Lake 76% of the systems were found to be non-compliant and at Greenwood Lake that number hit 70%, with ten systems deemed imminent public health threats. Inspections on McFarland Lake are currently in process. Thanks to these inventories, the county has been able to proactively address these water quality threats and protect the lakes and the people who live on them. The Lake Superior North Watershed has waters that are a destination for people around the country, a resource for Minnesota and beyond, and keeping those waters healthy matters. Inspection programs like this one are making a positive impact on regional water quality now and for the future.

It’s a community effort, Cook County SWCD Water Plan Coordinator Ilena Berg says. “We are very lucky to have really committed citizens and lake associations who have been very engaged in this process. Between their efforts and the work of the Planning and Zoning Department, we’re working toward a goal of 100% compliance on all our lakes.” Next on tap for the program: inspections on properties along Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake by volume in North America.

By Mark Wespetal, MPCA

Recently, seven-year-old Noah Laehn fell into an SSTS pump tank in his aunt’s yard in the city of Blue Earth. He said that he was running and stepped onto the tank lid, which slipped and caused him to fall into the tank. He fell 10 feet into two feet of effluent (the tank had recently been pumped).

Officers from the Fairbault County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 911 call and helped the boy out of the tank with a ladder. Noah was wet and dirty but unhurt. Fortunately, the effluent level in the tank was low and he did not hit his head during the fall. 

The possibility of a child falling into a septic tank is a very serious concern. It is critical that maintenance hole covers are checked for soundness, replaced over the riser, and firmly secured any time work is performed, whether by a professional or the homeowner. Locking the lid and adding a secondary restraint  device is highly recommended. 

By Sarah Heger, University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is offering additional services for those working towards or interested in gaining Intermediate or Advanced Design and/or Inspection certification. There are three great opportunities:

Customized tutoring - Those who have been unsuccessful in passing the exam are eligible to receive customized tutoring at no cost.

Re-take courses - Those who have been unsuccessful in passing the exam in 2013 or 2014 can also retake the course and exam with no registration fee.

Hands-on training – The University's Onsite Sewage Treatment Program will host a number of field days in 2014 and 2015 to help people apply many of the concepts from the classroom. This class will be free to attend for those working towards gaining an Intermediate or Advanced certification.

 If you are interested or would like more information about these opportunities, please contact Sara Heger at sheger@umn.edu or 612-625-7243.

The next time you fill up a glass with water from your faucet, you can thank the federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 for ensuring the safety of our drinking water. This Minnesota Department of Health video tells the story through the voices of former  vice president Walter Mondale, former Minnesota governor Al Quie, MPCA Commissioner John Stine and MDH Commissioner Ed Ehlinger, among others.

"Prevention is the single most cost-effective strategy that we have for cleaning up our water. Cleaning up our waters is less sustainable than preventing the harm in the first place." -- John Stine, MPCA commissioner.