Corrosion Control Success Stories
Public Water Systems that exceeded
lead and/or copper action levels during
their initial monitoring should have
submitted the required “optimal
corrosion
control
treatment
recommendation” to the MDH Public
Water Supply (PWS) Unit by the end of
1996. Most of these systems have
received the state’s approval for their
recommendations and were scheduled
for the follow-up monitoring if the
treatment has already been implemented.
Twenty-eight public water systems,
with a total of 17 lead and 18 copper
exceedances, have completed their firstround follow-up monitoring, and 22 of
them also completed the second round.
The follow-up results show a success
rate of 65 percent for lead and 50
percent for copper in meeting the respective action levels. Of the 28 systems, 24
selected phosphate inhibitor treatment
while three used pH adjustment as their
optimal corrosion control treatment; one
system, St. Louis Park, went with
replacement of lead service lines and has
demonstrated success in its two rounds
of follow-up testing.
The good news is that phosphate
inhibitors, at a relatively low dosage, do
work for lead and copper control.
Although 35 percent remained in
exceedance of the lead action level and
50 percent in exceedance of the copper
action level, the 90th percentile levels for
these systems were significantly
lowered. The PWS Unit is hopeful that
by fine-tuning their treatments, these
systems can further reduce their lead
and copper levels.
Here are the stories of two water
systems that successfully implemented
corrosion control and regained
compliance:
Buffalo
Buffalo was the first city to perform
corrosion control in response to an
exceedance, but there was a reason for
the system’s head start. “We were getting high copper in the sludge at the sewer
plant, so I had been doing some bench
testing and experimenting with
phosphate inhibitors even before the lead
and copper issue came up,” said Tom
Klett, the Buffalo water superintendent.
“We were almost ready to up and run
with it, so we were able to start with the
implementation almost immediately
after our exceedances.”
The water system exceeded both the
lead and copper action levels during its
initial monitoring in 1992 and within a
month began adding C5, a polyphosphate,
to the supply. In addition to dealing with
the lead and copper exceedances and
the high copper levels in the wastewater sludge, Klett hoped the C5 could
also remedy a problem the city was
having with brown and red water. It was
effective in reducing the amount of lead
and copper leaching into the drinking
water from the distribution system and
residents’ plumbing; however, the other
two problems remained. “We were still
having brown-and-red water problems,
and the level of copper in the sludge at
the sewer plant was still high enough that
I wanted to fine-tune it,” explains Klett.
That fine-tuning was a switch to C4, an
ortho-polyphosphate blend. “When we
Spring 1997
Inside:
Volume Four/4
Brooklyn Park Expansion
The landscape in Brooklyn Park is
changing as the water treatment plant
undergoes an expansion that will double
its treatment capacity and triple its
physical size. See story on page 3.
Upcoming Certification
Exam Dates
March 27, Rochester
April 11, Bloomington
April 24, Fairmont
May 23, Ely
June 13, Brainerd
See calendar on back page
for more information
switched to C4, it did a better job of
cleaning the system and getting the
coating on the pipes.” Within a year, this
reduced the aesthetic problems to the
point that the city received no more
complaints about brown and red water
and also made a difference with the
copper levels in the sludge.
Klett said that following the corrosioncontrol program for lead and copper
worked out well for them. “To me, it fit
in perfectly.”
Corrosion Control—Continued on page 6
School and Training News
Lakeville Groundbreaking
Drinking Water Revolving Fund Update
Brooklyn Park Treatment Plant Expansion
Drinking Water Revolving Fund Preliminary Proposals Rolling In
MDH Gearing Up for Implementation
Implementation of Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) is proceeding with the development of rules by MDH and
completion of the guidance document by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). MDH is hopeful that loans can
be made beginning in the fall of 1997. At the end of 1996, MDH had received 65 preliminary proposals totaling $110,943,571
from Minnesota water systems. Most of the proposals came from municipalities; however, the list of applicants includes a
mobile home park seeking $40,000 for a new well, watermain, and storage capacity as well as non-municipal systems,
including a school requesting $6,000 for chlorine equipment. At the other end of the spectrum, the city of St. Paul has
submitted a proposal for $14,975,000 for planning, design, and construction of a variety of projects, including a chemical-feed
system and rehabilitation of its treatment plant. Of the 65 preliminary proposals, only five were for under $100,000 with 32
proposals in excess of $1 million and the remainder between those two ranges. Besides St. Paul, Marshall also had a proposal
in excess of $10 million, this one for a new treatment plant and wells.
The preliminary proposals are being
used to estimate the costs associated
New Certification Rules
with the needed drinking water
to Apply to Non-Municipal Operators
infrastructure improvements in
A revision to Minnesota Rules Chapter 9400, Water
Minnesota. These estimated costs of
Supply
Systems and Wastewater Treatment Facilities is requiring all
needs will be used to obtain $42 million
community
water suppliers, including non-municipal systems such as
of federal DWRF funds from EPA and
manufactured
housing developments, apartment complexes, and housing
to acquire the required 20 percent state
developments,
to have a certified waterworks operator. The operator—who
matching funds of $8.4 million. They are
will
be
responsible
for the proper operation of the system and for providing
also being used for a test run of
safe
drinking
water—may
be an owner, on-site manager, or maintenance
assigning priority points, the method that
personnel
who
can
be
“grandfathered”
in, meaning that no certification exam
will be used to create a project list
will
be
required.
The
operator
will
receive
a conditional certificate that may be
containing all projects, in priority order,
used
only
by
this
operator
at
and
only
at
the
particular system for which he or
that are eligible for funding. The
she
is
designated
as
the
operator.
priority-point system is part of the draft
For those systems that already have a certified water operator, the operator
DWRF rule and is available from MDH’s
will
keep the certificate and renew it as before. All certified operators are
Public Water Supply (PWS) Unit at 612/
required
to participate in training for certificate renewal (each certificate
215-0770.
expires
three
years after it is issued). Most non-municipal community water
Other work progressing on DWRF
supplies
are
Class
D systems, which will require the operator to have eight
involves the addition of staff to MDH’s
contact
hours
of
training every three years. The Waterline contains
PWS Unit. These staff will be both field
information
about
upcoming
schools that provide this training. In addition,
and central office positions, and many
operators
will
received
separate
mailings regarding these and other low-cost
will have other PWS job duties besides
courses
which
will
be
offered
through
the state.
DWRF-related activities.
In
the
past
month
all
non-municipal
community water supplies received a
Those interested in more information
form
asking
for
the
name
of
their
designated
operator. If you have not yet
may contact the District Engineer in their
completed
and
returned
this
form,
please
do
so
as soon as possible. If you
area or call the PWS Metro Office at
have
questions
or
need
another
form,
contact
Karla
Peterson at 612/215-0761.
612/215-0770.
PWS Profile
Janele Taveggia
As a Public Health Engineer with the Public Water Supply Unit, Janele Taveggia reviews watermain plans, works on the
small systems’ needs survey, and conducts priority system tests for assigning points for the drinking water revolving fund. She
had worked as a student intern in the PWS Unit for one-and-a-half years (while earning her Civil Engineering degree from the
University of Minnesota) before assuming her current position. Prior to that, she was an civil
engineering intern for the city of Champlin. Janele is from Coon Rapids, where she still has two
younger sisters and a beagle named Ashley. Janele’s life is full of adventure, both in Minnesota
and while on exotic vacations. Her hobbies include golf, volleyball, camping, biking, and rollerblading,
the latter activity once earning her an unintended trip over the hood of a car operated by an
inattentive driver. Away from home, Janele lists Cancun, Mexico as one of the more exciting
places she’s visited. “It was a dangerous vacation,” she reports. “I could have died many
ways—falling through the holes in the sidewalks which consisted of ten-foot drops, getting run
over by taxi drivers, getting eaten alive by the four-inch cockroaches in our hotel or killed by our
hotel manager who walked around with a butcher knife—not to mention drinking the water!”
Last year, Janele took a more serene vacation to Paris and London, taking a train from the former
to the latter via the Chunnel.
2
Brooklyn Park Looks to the 21st Century with Plant Expansion
Even as construction progresses on
an expanded water treatment plant in
Brooklyn Park, the landscape outside the
facility has been changing from open
fields to tracts of single-family homes.
This type of growth is indicative of the
need for the treatment plant expansion
as more residents and increased
development have created new demand
for city services, including water.
The $16-million dollar project—which
will more than double the plant’s
capacity to 20 million gallons per day
(MGD) when it is finished later this
year—also brought the opportunity for
additional treatment to deal with
manganese levels that have been steadily
rising in recent years and now are
approaching 2 parts per million.
When the existing plant—built at a cost
of $6 million with a capacity of 10
MGD—opened in 1988, the treatment
train consisted of induced-draft aeration,
chlorination, manganese greensand
filtration with continuous feed of
potassium permanganate, and
fluoridation. As a result of problems
with copper corrosion, polyphosphate
injection was later added.
Although the plant had been designed
originally to remove iron and manganese
from the well water, the increased
levels were making it difficult for the
plant to meet its design capacity. “It was
too much of a load on the filters,” plant
supervisor Mike TerWisscha explains.
“We were getting filter runs of only ten
hours, sometimes less.”
A study undertaken as a result of this,
along with the increased demand for
water because of community growth ,
determined that an additional 10 MGD
of treatment plant capacity would be
needed by 1998. A Phase 2 expansion
of another 10 MGD is planned for
approximately 2015. The study also
addressed the manganese issue as well
as concerns regarding the vulnerability
to contamination of the shallow glacial
drift aquifer, which supplies the bulk of
the city’s water, and recommended the
drilling of deeper wells to reduce
reliance on the drift aquifer.
The city now gets its water from two
aquifers. One is a glacial drift aquifer
that provides large volumes of water
described as “poor quality mineral-wise”
by TerWisscha. A higher quality of
water is obtained from the FranconiaIronton-Galesville formation, although
only 25 percent of the water is used from
this aquifer.
The expansion will triple the plant’s size.
Following a series of studies and pilot
tests, the city began Phase 1 of its
improvement program. The expansion
includes a 75,000 square-foot addition to
the east of the existing plant, which will
triple the facility’s physical size. The
project includes two solids contact
clarifiers, each with a capacity of 5.5
MGD, to increase the detention time and
Minnesota Section AWWA
remove most of the manganese before
filtration. Aerators with a capcity of 15
MGD are also being added in front of
the clarifiers. “The reason for the larger
capacity on the aerators is to help with
aeration in the existing plant,”
TerWisscha says. The filter media are
also being changed from greensand to
24 inches of anthracite on top of 12
inches of sand. The dual media should
enhance production as will the blending
of some of the solids-contact water with
the higher-quality raw water to help
increase filter runs.
Pipes are in place for future clarifiers
with knock-out walls to allow for the
Phase 2 construction, which would
commence around 2015 if it’s determined
that further expansion is needed at that
time. It would allow for the attachment
of an additional 10 MGD in aeration,
solids contacts, and filtration. The
solids-contact units now being installed
will also provide for conversion of the
plant to surface water should the
availability or potability of the
groundwater decline in the future.
The construction activity for the
ongoing project has brought about some
turmoil. Residents moving in are
dismayed to see the large mounds of dirt
and heavy equipment outside their back
doors. City staff have been sensitive to
the issue and have put together an
informational packet that is distributed
throughout each new development. The
packet explains the benefits of the
project, construction schedule, and phone
numbers for more information.
The public outreach efforts have been
effective as residents have been
understanding. TerWisscha is confident
that when the project is finished, those
inconvenienced by the disruption will
agree that it was worth it.
Waterline
1996-97 District Officers
Published quarterly by the Public Water Supply Unit
of the Minnesota Department of Health
Northwest District:
Chair—Gary Hultberg, East Grand Forks
Vice Chair—Harvey Triepke, Fergus Falls
Director—Jarrod Christen, Detroit Lakes
Secretary—Don Christianson, Crookston
Southwest District:
Chair—Willis Cole, City of Fairmont
Vice Chair—Mark Sturm, City of St. James
Director—Maurice Chaplin, Marshall Public Utilities
Secretaries—Mark Sweers and John Blomme, MDH
Editor: Stew Thornley
Waterline staff: Dick Clark, Marilyn Krause,
Cindy Swanson
To request this document in another format,
call 612/215-0700; TDD 612/215-0707 or toll-free
through the Minnesota Relay Service, 1/800/627-3529
(ask for 612/215-0700).
3
Operator School and Training News
Information regarding registration for schools and applications for certification exams are in form on page 7.
1997 Metro School
The 1997 Metro School, which has been switched to a Wednesday to Friday format on April 9 to 11, will be back at its usual
spot at the Thunderbird Hotel in Bloomington. Last year’s hands-on workshops proved to be a hit and will be repeated again
on the first two afternoons of the school and held both at the Thunderbird and at off-site locations. Unlike last year, however,
there is no advance registration for the hands-on workshops. Space will be limited in most of the workshops; participants will
be able to sign up for these on a first come, first served basis during check-in on the first day of the school.
The A, B, C, And D Waterworks Operators Exams will be held on Friday afternoon. Applications to take the test must be
submitted by March 28. A study and practice session will be held the morning of April 10 with MDH personnel on hand to
answer questions. A more comprehensive exam preparation will be held on March 25 at the Crystal Community Center (see
related article on this page). Registration for the Metro School is $85 ($95 after March 25 or at the door). Use the form on
page 7 to register. Guest rooms may be reserved by contacting the Thunderbird at 612/854-3411.
Participants will receive 16 credit hours for their attendance.
Wednesday, April 9
Thursday, April 10
8:30-noon
• Privitization and Partnering—Adam Kramer, City of
Minneapolis and Gayle Meyer, City of St. Paul
8:30-noon Exam Study Session
8:30-10:00
• Public Employee Liability
12:45-4:00
Hands-on Training
Choice of one:
• Waterous Fire Hydrant Maintenance and Repair (50
participants maximum)
• Filter Rehabilitation and Optimization (40)
• Leak Detection (50)
• Chemical/Chlorine Safety, Feed-Rite (30)
• Trenching Safety (25)
• Sizing, Selection, and Repair of Badger Meters and AMR
Products (45)
• Lab Analysis Procedures (30)
• Water Valve Maintenance and Operations (unlimited)
10:15-noon (Concurrent session)
• Filter Optimization—Charles Taflin, HDR Engineering
10:15-noon (Concurrent session)
• Confined Space—Jerry Tschida, Metropolitan Council
Environmental Services
• Lockout/Tagout—Wendy Boyer, Brady Company
12:45-4:00
Hands-on Training
Choice of one:
• Waterous Fire Hydrant Maintenance and Repair (50
participants maximum)
• Filter Rehabilitation and Optimization (40)
• Leak Detection (50)
• Chemical/Chlorine Safety, Feed-Rite (30)
• Trenching Safety (25)
• Sizing, Selection, and Repair of Badger Meters and AMR
Products (45)
• Lab Analysis Procedures (30)
• Utility Location and Safety (unlimited)
Exam Prep March 25 in Crystal
A one-day Exam Prep will be held at the Crystal
Community Center, 4800 Douglas Drive, on Tuesday,
March 25. There will be one session for those preparing
for the A or B exam and a separate session for those
preparing for the C or D exam. The Exam Prep is $25 in
advance, $30 after March 18 or at the door.
This is a snow or shine event.
Friday, April 11
MRWA Technical Conference
The 1997 Minnesota Rural Water Association Technical
Conference will be held at the St. Cloud Civic Center from
Tuesday, March 4 through Thursday, March 6. The
conference will include educational sessions on Operations
and Maintenance, SDWA Reauthorization, and Drinking
Water Revolving Fund, in addition to a product show and
hands-on training at St. Cloud Technical College. Participants
will receive 16 credit hours for their attendance. For more
information, contact the MRWA office at 218/685-5197.
4
8:00
Breakfast
AWWA Membership Benefits—Jerome Miller,
Minnesota Section AWWA Chair
Featured Speaker—Ron Schara, Outdoor Editor,
StarTribune
9:15
Product Exposition and Health Fair
1:00
A, B, C, and D Certification Exams
Safety Courses at St. Cloud
St. Cloud Technical College will arrange OSHA training
programs for communities for their water and wastewater
operators. If interested in arranging a seminar, contact the
college at 1/800/222-1009 (select option 3).
Southwest/Northeast/Central Schools
The Southwest District will hold a one-day school on
Thursday, April 24 in Fairmont that will include a certification
exam. Registration is $20.
The Northeast School will be held at the new Holiday Inn
SunSpree Resort on the south shore of Shagawa Lake in Ely
from Wednesday, May 21 to Friday, May 23 (with the dates
selected to coincide with the fishing season so participants can
take advantage of the premier walleye fishing in the evenings).
Registration is $65 ($70 at the door or if postmarked after May
12). A block of guest rooms is being held at reduced rates until
May 1. Call the Holiday Inn at 1/800/365-5070 and mention the
water school to get the special room rate.
The Central District School will be at Cragun’s from
Wednesday, June 11 to Friday, June 13 with the exam on the final
afternoon. Registration is $50 for those staying at Cragun’s and
$90 for those staying elsewhere with an additional $5 for
registrations postmarked after May 29 or at the door.
Those attending the Northeast or Central school will receive
16 credit hours. Participants in the Southwest School will
receive four credit hours. Operators in the respective districts of
these schools will receive an agenda and registration information
in the mail. Others may contact Cindy Swanson at 612/2150767. (Registration information is also on the form on page 7.)
Northwest School Recap
The Northwest District held a successful school in East Grand
Forks last December. More than 50 operators attended the school,
which included a product show and a tour of the city’s recently
expanded water treatment plant. At a business meeting held
during an operator breakfast, district members voted to hold the
1997 school in Fergus Falls in December. Information on this
school will be available in the Fall 1997 Waterline.
The water operators of Thief River Falls put their people-building
skills to work to help bolster attendance at the Northwest District
School and make sure their Crookston compatriots were well
represented. Richard “Red” Normandin, Mark Fisketjon, and Joe
Munn (right to left) of the Crookston treatment plant were on hand to
join their look-alikes, but the mannequin at the far left was the only
version of Jan Nelson that made it to the school.
5
AWWA Teleconference to Offer
“Tricks of the Trade”
The next American Water Works Association
(AWWA) Teleconference, Critical Issues in Effective
Water Treatment: Things Your Operator School Didn’t
Teach You, will be held March 13 at the Earle Brown
Center in St. Paul with additional downlink sites
tentatively planned for East Grand Forks, Austin, Fergus
Falls, and Hibbing. This teleconference will offer an
advanced look at the coagulation/flocculation process,
jar testing, and filtration. Although aimed primarily at
operators of surface-water plants, the program will also
benefit operators of groundwater plants that use sources
under the influence of surface water or that employ
lime softening. Jerry Higgins, chair of AWWA’s
Distribution and Plant Operations Division, says Critical
Issues will provide “the kind of knowledge only
experience brings.”
AWWA has scheduled two other teleconferences for
1997: SDWA Reauthorization on July 31 and Public
Involvement on November 13. Participants in the
AWWA teleconferences will receive four credit hours
that will apply toward their operator certificates. For
information, contact Lynette Lindgren at 612/591-5407.
In addition, the League of Women Voters is offering a
teleconference on wellhead protection titled Tools for
Drinking Water Protection on March 19. For details
on local sites, contact Ruth Ann Hubbard of Minnesota
Rural Water Association at 218/685-5197.
SEMWWOA School March 25-27
The Southeast Minnesota Waterworks Operators’
Association will conduct its school from March 25 to 27
at the Best Western Apache in Rochester. Those
attending will receive 16 credit hours. Registration is
$60 ($80 at the door). For more information, contact
Harold Wobschall at 507/280-1505.
MDH Well Conference April 2
The Well Management Unit of the Minnesota Department of Health will holds its annual conference at the
Thunderbird Hotel in Bloomington on Wednesday, April
2. Industry and regulatory experts will speak on subjects
that include well construction site safety, confined space
hazards, closed-loop ground source heat pumps,
geotechnical borings, and well/pump electrical systems.
Conference participants will receive credit for six hours
of continuing education that can apply toward renewal
of full, limited, and monitoring well contractor licenses
and registrations. Registration for the conference is $50
($60 after March 15 or at the door). For more
information, contact Marlene Randall at 612/215-0810
or Ed Schneider at 612/215-0827.
The Well Management Unit will also be hosting a training session on April 1 for delegated well program staff.
Training will focus on well construction, well inspection,
and regulatory issues of interest to local well programs.
The training is $50, and advance registration is necessary. Contact Ed Schneider for more information.
Corrosion Control—Continued from page 1
Fairmont
The city of Fairmont, which has a surface-water system, has
been adding a polyphosphate, Nalco 918, to its drinking water
supply for over 30 years to coat the pipes as a means of
controlling iron deposits. Water plant superintendent Jerome Miller
said they thought this would also be effective against lead and
copper. As a result, he was surprised when the city exceeded
the lead action level during its initial monitoring in 1992 (although
it passed its copper monitoring). Nine of the 60 samples taken
(three more than allowed) were over the federal action level of
15 parts per billion.
Miller said they had seen the lining in the service lines caused
by the poly additive and added, “That’s why when we failed on
lead, we couldn’t believe it.”
(Miller later learned that two of the samples had not been taken
correctly—one because the sample site had a point-of-entry water
softener and the other because the resident had last used hot
water prior to the sampling. Since hot water may absorb
materials from the plumbing more readily than cold water, having
hot water sitting for several hours in the faucet may have
increased the lead levels in the sample. Miller said they learned
a lesson from that experience. “When we took samples from
that point on, we were a little more careful in giving instructions.”)
Willis Cole, a chemist for the utility, said the Nalco 918
apparently wasn’t coating the pipes enough. “We were using a
polyphosphate that had very little conversion to ortho. We then
switched to Western 9737, which has a high blend of orthophosphate.”
Working with their chemical supplier, Miller and Cole tried
several blends, looking for the one that would provide the
greatest reversion. “We didn’t want the reversion all to happen
right in the plant,” explained Cole. “We wanted it to be at a very
low rate inside the plant and for the reversion to occur slowly as
it was going through the distribution system so that at the far end
we would have a .5 parts per million of orthophosphate.”
It took three tries, but they finally achieved the desired
reversion rate. Cole described the result of the orthophosphate
as “a soft coating but one that went on the pipes very fast.”
The additional coating reduced the amount of lead that the
water absorbed from the pipes, and the results were noticeable
as the city did demonstration testing of the samples that had
exceeded the action level during the initial monitoring. “We could
see we were getting better as we went,” said Miller.
Finally, in the spring of 1996, the city performed its official
resampling of all 60 sites and came in under the action level.
Fairmont was no longer in exceedance for lead.
During the time it had been in exceedance, the city—as part of
its corrective actions—had to perform regular public education
to inform residents of the situation. Miller made sure the media
heard the good news when the city passed its lead test. “We had
to put up with the bad news for a while, so we thought we’d take
advantage of the good,” he says.
A story headlined “Fairmont’s Water Gets OK from State”
appeared in the November 29, 1996 Fairmont Sentinel with a
description of how the utility successfully dealt with the lead
issue. Miller still stressed the recommendations of flushing
faucets and avoiding water from the hot tap for drinking or
cooking. He said they would continue with general education on
the subject to Fairmont residents.
6
Phosphate Inhibitor Treatment Tips
The key to a successful corrosion control treatment
program is maintaining a minimum orthophosphate residual throughout the distribution system. This
minimum residual level varies with water sources,
treatment, qualities, and the combined functional needs
of the treatment. Groundwater systems that are
maintaining an ortho-PO4 residual at or above 1.0
milligram per liter (one part per million) are proven to
be more successful in regaining their compliance with
both lead and copper action levels.
•Know your “combined” treatment needs for
selecting the right product.
At first glance, (zinc) ortho-phosphate will be the
choice product since it is the active ingredient for lead/
copper control. In reality, it is limited to systems with a
sound iron-removal treatment or systems that have no
needs for red-water and/or scaling control.
Polyphosphate, on the other hand, is effective in red/
brown water and scale control but, unless sufficient
reversion to orthophosphate can occur in the distribution system, is not effective in lead/copper control. For
systems with combined treatment needs, poly-ortho
blended phosphate will be the right choice; the trick is
to find the right ortho-poly ratio.
•Start treatment when routine flushing of the water
main can be incorporated.
Because of the “poly” element of a blended
phosphate, sloughing is common during the first few
months of the treatment with accompanying aesthetic
water-quality complaints from consumers. Periodic
main flushing will help clean up the dead ends, bring up
the phosphate level throughout the entire system, and,
most importantly, eliminate the accumulation of
nutrients in areas of low water usage and dead ends
that may encourage microbiological growth.
•Start the treatments one at a time.
For systems that do not chlorinate, starting a
phosphate treatment also means starting a chlorination
program. Chlorination should be started a few months
before phosphate treatment to establish a reliable chlorine residual in the system and to allow residents to get
used to the taste and odor of the chlorinated water.
(Consumers can be easily confused, and corrosion control treatment can be blamed for bad-tasting water.)
•Monitor phosphate levels and increase the dosage
gradually.
Most water systems rely on vendors to start the
treatment and set up the feed rate. The only way to
ensure successful treatment is to set a target residual
level and routinely monitor orthophosphate levels to
make sensible adjustments, if needed. Weekly
calibration and daily recording of phosphate dosage
rates are necessary operating procedures.
Call your vendor or the PWS Unit staff engineer
Lih-in Rezania at 612/215-0763 if you have questions
or need more information.
City of Lakeville Breaks Ground for Water Treatment Plant
The City of Lakeville broke ground last October
for a new $14-million water treatment plant. The
ten-million gallon per day facility, which will
improve water quality by removing iron and
manganese, will be expandable to an ultimate
capacity of 30 million gallons per day
The 51,000 square-foot structure will include
headquarters for the Operations and
Maintenance Department, a community meeting
room, and an interim two-bay ambulance garage
and quarters, designed for future conversion to
utility or water treatment plant functions. Also
included will be a 2.1-million gallon below-grade
storage reservoir.
Water treatment will be controlled by a
computerized SCADA system that will monitor
and operate all city lift stations, water wells, and
water storage facilities. Completion is expected
in early 1998. The 50-acre site is designed to
accommodate a future fire station and
permanent ambulance garage and quarters.
REGISTRATION/REGISTRATION FORM
You may combine multiple fees on one check if more than one person is attending a school; however, please make a copy
of this form for each person. Questions regarding certification, contact Karla Peterson at 612/215-0761. Questions regarding
registration, contact Cindy Swanson at 612/215-0767.
Southeast School, March 25-27, Best Western Apache, Rochester. Fee: $60 ($80 at the door).
Exam Prep, March 25, Crystal Community Center Fee: $25 ($30 after March 17 or at the door).
Please indicate which exam you are preparing for: ___ A or B ___ C or D
Metro School, April 9-11, Thunderbird Hotel, Bloomington Fee: $85 ($95 after March 25 or at the door).
Northeast School, May 21-23, 1997, Holiday Inn Sunspree, Ely. Fee: $65 ($70 after May 12 or at the door).
Central School, June 11 to 13, 1997, Cragun’s Resort, Brainerd. Fee: $40 if staying at Cragun’s, $90 if not staying at
Cragun’s (add $5 to the cost if paying at the door or if postmarked after May 29).
Check here if you would like to receive an exam application. (Applications must be submitted at least 15 days
prior to the exam.)
Check here if you would like to receive a study guide (1996 Edition).
If you have any special dietary needs, please indicate them here:
Name
Address
City
Zip
Day Phone
Employer
Please enclose the appropriate fee. Make check payable to Minnesota Department of Health. Mail this form and
fee to Public Water Supply Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, 121 East Seventh Place, Suite 220, P. O. Box 64975,
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975.
Registration for the following school must be sent to the person listed (checks made payable to Minnesota AWWA):
April 24, Southwest School, Fairmont. Fee is $20. Send to Mark Sweers, Minnesota Department of Health, 410 Jackson
Street, Suite 150, Mankato, Minnesota 56001.
7
CALENDAR
Minnesota Section, American
Water Works Association
Contact John Hill, 612/531-1166 or
Stew Thornley, 612/215-0771
March 25, Exam Prep, Crystal
Community Center
*April 9-11, Metro Waterworks
Operators’ School, Thunderbird
Hotel, Bloomington
*April 24, Southwest Waterworks
Operators’ School, Fairmont, Contact
Mark Sweers, 612/389-2501
*May 21-23, Northeast Waterworks
Operators’ School, Holiday Inn
SunSpree Resort, Contact Mike
Luhrsen, 218/723-4643 or Stew
Thornley, 612/215-0771
*June 11-13, Central Waterworks
Operators’ School, Cragun’s, Brainerd,
Contact Dave Schultz, 612/255-4216 or
Stew Thornley, 612/215-0771
Minnesota Water Well Association
Contact 612/290-6270
January 26-29, Annual Conference, Civic
Center and Kelly Inn, St. Cloud
Minnesota Rural Water Association
Contact Kyle Kedrowski, 218/685-5197
March 4-6, Technical Conference, Civic
Center, St. Cloud
April 16, Treatment Processes and
Safety, Elbow Lake
May 6, Long Prairie
May 8, Taylors Falls
May 28, Montivideo
June 4, Gonvick
June 11, St. James
*Southeast Minnesota Waterworks
Operators Association (SEMWWOA)
March 25-27, 1997, Best Western
Apache, Rochester, Contact Harold
Wobschall, 507/280-1505
AWWA Water Utility Management
Waterwell Conference
April 2, Thunderbird Hotel, Institute
March 9-12, Contact Dick Grefe, 612/
Bloomington, Contact Ed Schneider,
625-0196
612/215-0827
Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency
(Wastewater Operator Training)
Contact Emily Armistead, 612/2967251
March 19-21, Annual Wastewater
Seminar, Thunderbird Hotel,
Bloomington
April 15-17, Stabilization Pond
Seminar, Holiday Inn, Austin
April 29-May 1, Stabilization Pond
Seminar, Best Western International,
Fergus Falls
May 6-8, Spray Irrigation Seminar,
Clinic View Inn, Rochester
June 24-26, Wastewater Treatment
Technology Seminar, Kelly Inn, St.
Cloud
Teleconferences
March 13, Critical Issues in
Effective Water Treatment, Contact
Lynette Lindgren, 612/591-5407
March 19, Tools for Drinking
Water Protection, Contact Ruth Ann
Hubbard, 218/685-5197
*Schools/meetings marked with an asterisk include a certification exam
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Minnesota Department of Health
121 E. 7th Place Suite 220
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975