2000 Things to Fret About
Operator Challenge On Tap in Ely
By Doug Mandy
It’s amazing how important technology has become in our
lives.
Almost every portion of our private and working day is
enhanced or controlled by computers or similar technology.
Now there is the prospect that it could all come crashing
down on us because of the year 2000 bug.
Much of the technology that has been developed around
computers and other technology processing units uses a short
cut to keep track of the date. Instead of using four digits for
the year, only the last two digits are used (e.g., 1998 is 98).
We all use the same shortcut when writing a check or signing
a document. The date shortcut was very helpful back in the
“old” days of computers when memory and storage were
precious and any way to save space was used. Computers
and other processing chips use the date to make various
internal calculations. Unfortunately, when these calculations
are made and the application sees two digits for the year, it
assumes that the other two digits are ‘19.’ Therefore, when
we cross into 2000, our computers will think they are back in
the early 1900s.
You have probably heard stories about how this could
affect you—credit card balances all of a sudden becoming
100 years past due; being charged for 100 years and five
minutes for that New Year’s Eve long-distance call to a loved
one; air traffic control screens going blank; your car stopping
dead in the road because the on-board computer thinks it’s
way past time for a tune up.
We should also be looking at our water systems. Do you
use computerized billing? Is your treatment process run by
a computer? Do some of the internal process controllers use
a computer chip?
It’s probably a good idea to check these things out now
rather than waiting to see what happens on January 1, 2000.
Check with your process manufacturers to make sure the
2000 bug won’t cause you a problem. Even the most basic
computer chips could have a date stored inside for some
internal processing function that has nothing to do with your
application. But it could shut you down on January 1 and
really ruin your day.
Fall 1998
Volume Six/2
Inside:
A tapping competition was part of the Operator Challenge at
the Northeast District Water Operators’ School in Ely last May.
Two-person teams had the opportunity to see how fast they
could tap a watermain as well as try their skills in contests
involving laboratory analysis and meter change-out, not to
mention “Name the Pump Parts.”
Upcoming Certification
Exam Dates
September 2, Askov
September 30, Twin Valley
October 6, Brooklyn Center
October 15, Windom
October 28, Collegeville
October 30, Northfield
December 3, Moorhead
See calendar on back page
for more information
Ozone Treatment at Camp Snoopy
Clara City Works to Control Nitrite
Certification Changes
Operator Training News
Training News
Northwest School in Moorhead
December 1-3
Risk Management Is Topic of
October 22 Teleconference
The Northwest District Water Operators’ School will be
held at the Red River Inn in Moorhead from Tuesday,
December 1 through Thursday, December 3. The program
will include sessions on the ozone treatment plant in Moorhead,
the arsenic removal plant in Hector, and the new reverseosmosis plant in Madison. Registration is $65 ($80 at the
door or after November 20). To reserve a guest room, call
the Red River Inn at 1/ 800/328-6173. Registration
information is on page 3 for the Moorhead school as well as
the one-day schools being held throughout the state this fall.
The next American Water Works Association (AWWA)
teleconference—scheduled for Thursday, October 22 at the
Earle Brown Center in St. Paul and at Northwest Technical
College in East Grand Forks—will be of interest to the water
systems affected by new risk management regulations that
were adopted under the Clean Air Act in 1996. Systems that
handle threshold amounts of chlorine, anhydrous ammonia,
or aqueous ammonia will be required to develop and
implement a comprehensive risk management plan by July of
1999.
Information has been sent to all AWWA members on this
teleconference; in addition, a registration form is on page 3.
AWWA has also set its 1999 teleconference schedule:
March 11—Water Quality in the Distribution System,
Part II
October 21—Technologies to Comply with the D/DBP
Rule Cluster
Metro School April 21-23, 1999
The 1999 Metro District Water Operators’ School will be
held at the Thunderbird Hotel in Bloomington from
Wednesday, April 21 through Friday, April 23. A
comprehensive exam preparation session will be held during
the school with certification exams offered on Friday
afternoon. Registration will be $85 ($110 at the door or after
April 5). A registration form will be in the Winter 1998-99
and Spring 1999 issues of the Waterline.
Consumer Confidence Reports
October 6 in Bloomington
American Water Works Association will present a oneday seminar, Consumer Confidence Reports, on Tuesday,
October 6 at the Thunderbird Hotel in Bloomington.
Registration forms and additional information have been
sent to all AWWA members; others may contact Mayme
Larson of AWWA at 303/347-6204.
AWWA 1998-99 District Officers
Northeast District
Chair—Tom Sakry, International Falls
Vice Chair—Dick Harju, Biwabik
Waterline
Director—Jack Olin, Duluth
Published quarterly by the Drinking Water Protection
Section of the Minnesota Department of Health
Central District
Editor: Stew Thornley
Waterline staff: Dick Clark, Marilyn Krause,
Cindy Swanson, Doug Mandy
Chair—Gary Peters, Wadena
Vice Chair—Bill Spain, St. Cloud Technical College
To request this document in another format,
call 651/215-0700; TDD 651/215-0707 or toll-free
through the Minnesota Relay Service,
1/800/627-3529 (ask for 651/215-0700).
Director—Dick Nagy, Hutchinson
Secretary—Allen Anderson, Thein Well Company
DWP Profile:
Bonnie Shafer
Bonnie Shafer handles registration and other aspects of operator
training schools with duties that include being friendly and smiling a lot.
She lives in Blaine, Minnesota, and used to work on the surgical and
cancer floor at Mercy Hospital up in that neck of the woods. Bonnie is a
down-to-earth person with simple tastes that include fishing (both in
summer and winter), camping, walking, biking, eating White Castle
hamburgers, and going on Caribbean cruises. Bonnie has a husband, Jim;
son, Nathan; daughter, Angie; dogs, Apollo and Zeus; and cats, Ziggy and
Brutus.
2
MDH Hires Source Water Planners
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Source
Water Protection Unit has hired three principal planners who
will be working in district offices throughout the state and
assisting Minnesota public water suppliers with their source
water and wellhead protection plans.
Terry Bovee, who works out of the Mankato office and
covers the southwestern part of the state, will provide advice
to other wellhead protection program staff regarding
agricultural land uses. Terry had been with LeSueur County
for nine years. Working out of the Bemidji office, Beth Kluthe
will cover northern Minnesota and provide advice to other
wellhead protection program staff regarding recreational and
mining land uses. She had been with Hubbard County for
eight years. Mike Pope works out of the St. Cloud office
and covers the central part of the state, providing advice to
other wellhead protection program staff regarding
commercial and industrial land uses. Mike had been with
Pope County for 26 years.
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 Cindy Cook at 651/215-/0751. Questions regarding
registration, contact Bonnie Shafer at 651/215-1311.
AWWA Teleconference: How to Comply with the U. S. EPA’s Risk Management Program Regulation, October 22,
1998, $60 for AWWA members, students, and public officials; $70 for all others.
Check location you wish to attend:
____ Earle Brown Center, St. Paul
____ Northwest Techical College, East Grand Forks.
Northwest School, December 1-3, 1998 Red River Inn, Moorhead. Fee: $65 ($80 after November 20 or at the door).
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.
If you have any special dietary needs, please indicate them here:
Please print:
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 schools must be sent to the person listed:
October 6, Suburban Utilities Superintendents School, Brooklyn Center Civic Center. Fee is $20. Send to John Hill, Crystal
Utilities, 4141 Douglas Drive North, Crystal, Minnesota 55422 (checks payable to SUSA).
October 15, Southwest School, Eagles Club, Windom. Fee is $20. Send to Mark Sweers, Minnesota Department of
Health, 410 Jackson Street, Suite 150, Mankato, Minnesota 56001 (Checks payable to Minnesota AWWA).
October 28, Central Minnesota School, St. John’s University, Collegeville. Fee is $25. Send to Duane Johnson, St. Cloud
Public Utilities, City Hall, 400 2nd Street South, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301 (checks payable to Minnesota AWWA).
October 30, Southeast Minnesota School, Northfield. Fee is $14 ($20 at the door). Send to Paul Halvorson, Minnesota
Department of Health, 18 Woodlake Drive SE, Rochester, Minnesota 55904-5506 (checks payable to Minnesota AWWA).
3
Is Certification Changing Again?
The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act require the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to issue operator certification guidelines that each state must follow. Although the current MDH requirements follow the EPA
guidelines in most areas, a few revisions to our current certification program are necessary (and indicated below).
The EPA draft guidelines consist of nine baseline standards that the MDH operator certification program must include.
Here are the standards:
1. The state must have the legal authority to implement the
High Ammonia Levels Lead to
certification program and require the certification of
operators of all Community and NontransientNitrite Problems in Clara City
Noncommunity public water supply systems (C-PWS
Random sampling of municipal wells in west central
and NTNC-PWS). This will require change to
Minnesota
has indicated higher-than-average levels of amMinnesota’s current certification program.
monia
in
a
number of wells located north of the Minnesota
2. Systems MDH must classify all Community and
River
and
stretching
westward across the central part of the
NTNC-PWSs based on, but not limited to, complexity,
state.
It
is
not
uncommon
to find ammonia levels between 1
size, and source water for treatment facilities and
and
2.5
parts
per
million
(ppm),
according to Jon Groethe,
distribution systems. Minnesota’s current point-based
the
MDH
field
engineer
for
this
area.
“The ammonia in the
system is sufficient.
raw
water
is
naturally
occurring
and
is
found even in deeper,
Facilities Owners of all Community and NTNCgeologically
protected
wells,”
Groethe
explains. “For most
PWSs must place the direct supervision of their water
systems,
the
presence
of
ammonia
does
not translate into
system under the responsible charge of a certified
water
quality
problems.
However,
when
nitrifying
bacteria
operator. This doesn’t require change.
are
present
in
a
system,
ammonia
can
be
converted
into
Operators Process control/system integrity
oxidized
nitrogen
compounds,
such
as
nitrite
and
nitrate.”
decisions about water quality or quantity that affect
Treatment plant filter media may also contain nitrifying bacpublic health must be made by operating personnel that
teria, causing a high chlorine uptake. Because of increased
hold a valid certificate. A designated certified
microbiological growth in the distribution system and service
operator must be available for each operating shift. This
lines, chlorine residuals may be hard to maintain. In addition,
doesn’t require change.
since nitrification is an acid-producing process, a decrease
3. States must validate all exam questions to ensure no
in pH may occur as nitrification proceeds. Groethe says the
illegal bias, and they must be based on a job analysis.
most direct solution to nitrification is elimination of the
This requires some change.
ammonia and that several water utilities in Minnesota have
4. States must have the ability to revoke or suspend
reported success at removing ammonia through breakpoint
operators’ certificates or take other appropriate action
chlorination, oxidizing all or a portion of the ammonia.
for operator misconduct. This requires some change.
Clara City is a prime example of a city in this region
5. States must establish training requirements for
grappling
with this problem. The water system’s primary
certificate renewal based on the level of certification
well—two
miles outside of town in an area where water is
held by the operator. This doesn’t require change.
scarce—has
an unusually high level of 7.5 ppm of ammonia.
6. States must have resources to provide funding to
As
a
result,
the utility is having to address high levels of
support the certification program. Minnesota has the
nitrite,
at
times
exceeding the maximum contaminant level
funding resources.
of
1
ppm,
on
its
distribution
system. “Because the amount of
7. The certification program must have a process for
chlorine
required
to
arrive
at
breakpoint can be as high as 15
recertification of individuals whose certification has
times
the
ammonia
nitrogen
content,
breakpoint chlorination
lapsed, due to suspension or revocation of the certificate
in
this
case
would
be
difficult,”
says
Groethe. An earlier
or failure to renew. Current rules and statutes apply.
attempt
to
chlorinate
at
the
well
house
was successful at
8. States must include ongoing stakeholder involvement in
reducing
nitrite
levels
for
a
short
time,
but
when
levels began
the revision and operations of the operator certification
to
rise
again,
chlorination
was
discontinued.
More
recently,
program. A stakeholder board or advisory committee is
studies
were
made
to
document
water
quality
parameters
strongly recommended. Minnesota has an Advisory
commonly related with nitrification, such as dissolved
Council.
oxygen, pH, total and free chlorine, and temperature. A
9. States must perform some type of review of their
decline in ammonia levels and a subsequent rise in nitrate
operator certification program. This will be done in
and nitrite levels were observed along the distribution
the upcoming year.
system. Other remedies now being considered—flushing,
For the most part the changes needed to comply with
looping of mains, disinfection—are less effective or must be
EPA guidelines are small. In the coming year we will be
periodically repeated. A search for other alternatives,
sending out requests for comments and discussing the
including treatment methods or a new water supply source,
proposed changes with operators at the various water schools
is currently underway. “No matter what solution is ultimately
and seminars around the state. Please give us your thoughts
found,” concludes Groethe, “there is much to be learned from
and ideas, and we will continue to work to effect changes
this situation about naturally occurring ammonia and water
that are in the best interest of the approximately 2,500
treatment.”
certified operators in the State of Minnesota.
4
Bloomington Water Supply Keeps Pace with City Growth
Progressing from a small village to a sizable suburb, the
Gregg Randahl, a customer service specialist for the city’s
city of Bloomington has experienced tremendous growth in
Utilities Division, was involved in the on-site inspection at the
the half-century following World War II. With it has come
mall and serves as a liaison between the mall and the city for
the creation and subsequent growth of its water supply
issues concerning water supply. He said the city did
system, one that continues to expand to serve the needs of
augment its water supply system to some extent as a result
an ever-increasing population as well as the nation’s largest
of the mall, including participation in some of the costs of
shopping center.
road work that allowed the extension of
William Lloyd, who retired in 1994
watermains to the mall. The Mall of
after 34 years as the city’s utilities
America itself is connected to the city
superintendent, notes that Bloomington—
water system through four 12-inch feeds.
especially in its eastern portion—was in a
In addition, each of the four anchor stores
good position to accommodate the great
has its own supply. As a single site, the
demand for housing following the war
Mall of America has become the largest
since it had a high water table and
water user in Bloomington.
considerable open land that was relatively
Although the mall receives treated
level. “Such land was ideal for the mass
water from the city, some of the water—
production of housing and a building boom
that is used for the log flume ride
began.” The population of Bloomington
and other water features in the Knott’s
more than quintupled between 1950 and This is the ozone generator used to treat Camp Snoopy amusement portion
1960 (from 10,000 to 52,000).
the water at Camp Snoopy at the Mall of of the facility—receives additional
By this time, however, there were still America
purification.
no water or sewer utilities in the community as residents
Chris Romero, the maintenance manager for Knott’s Camp
continued to rely on private wells and septic tank-cesspool
Snoopy, says they use ozone to prevent algae growth that
systems. “In most cases,” recalls Lloyd, “the well consisted
could make the water cloudy. In addition to aesthetics, the
of a length of pipe with a well point attached, driven into
additional treatment helps in maintaining their equipment as
the shallow aquifer that was 12 to 15 feet below the
well as in protecting public health in case any of the water is
surface. The waste disposal systems were positioned
consumed. “If it’s organic, this kills it,” says Bill Smith of
just above the water, and in a few years the wastewater
Knott’s Camp Snoopy, referring to the ozone treatment.
seeped into the aquifer, causing the water to be unfit for
Three generators are used to superheat oxygen and
drinking.”
convert it into ozone, which then is absorbed into the water
Recognizing the need for quick action, voters passed a before entering the main system within Knott’s Camp Snoopy.
referendum calling for the installation of water and sewer
The excess ozone goes into an ozone destroyer, which heats
systems, and the Village Council approved a 30-year water
the air to 180 degrees Fahrenheit to break down the ozone.
purchase agreement with the city of Minneapolis. A Sodium bromide, which forms bromine when combined with
massive construction program began in 1960, and, within a
ozone, is added to extend the life of the ozone.
year, approximately 100 miles of water and sewer pipes had
Water for Knott’s Camp Snoopy is treated at a rate of
been installed. Early components of the water supply
1,500 gallons per minute 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
system were a 1.5-million-gallon elevated storage tank and a
36-inch water supply line that connected to the Minneapolis
water system.
The contract with Minneapolis provided for on demand
delivery for the first three years. After this time, Bloomington
was expected to have constructed a reservoir and pumping
station that would enable it to take water during off-peak
hours. Toward this end, the city constructed a pair of tenmillion gallon reservoirs.
Bloomington continued to purchase water from
Minneapolis through the 1960s and 1970s, although it knew it
would eventually have to develop its own supply. In 1974, a
$2.5-million water treatment plant on Poplar Bridge Road
began operations. The plant was originally designed to
process six million gallons of water per day (MGD), although
subsequent modifications have brought its maximum
capacity up to 8.5 MGD.
Much of the commercial and residential growth in
Bloomington has been gradual, but a big jump took place in
1992 with the opening of the Mall of America on the former
The city of Bloomington supplies water to the Mall of America
site of Metropolitan Stadium.
and to the Camp Snoopy amusement park within the mall.
5
CALENDAR
Minnesota Section, American
Water Works Association
Annual Conference, September 2325, Rochester, Contact Jim Haugen, 651/
489-1051
*October 15, Southwest Waterworks
Operators’ School, Eagles Club,
Windom, Contact Mark Sweers, 507/
389-2501
*October 28, Central Water
Operators’ School, St. John’s University,
Collegeville, Contact Duane Johnson,
320/255-7225
*October 30, Southeast Water
Operators’ School, Northfield, Contact
Paul Halvorson, 507/292-5193
*December 1-3, Northwest Water
Operators’ School, Red River Inn,
Moorhead, Contact Stew Thornley, 651/
215-0771
*Suburban Superintendents School
October 6, Brooklyn Center Civic
Center, Contact John Hill, 612/531-1166
AWWA Teleconference
October 22, Risk Management, St.
Paul and East Grand Forks, Contact Stew
Thornley, 651/215-0771
Minnesota Rural Water Association
Contact Kyle Kedrowski, 218/685-5197
*September 2, Operation and
Maintenance, Askov
September 16, Operation and
Maintenance, Fulda
*September 30, Operation and
Maintenance, Twin Valley
October 7, Operation and
Maintenance, Coleraine
October 13, OSHA Safety, Morris
October 14, OSHA Safety, St. Cloud
October 14, Operations for
Nonmunicipal Systems, Cass Lake
October 20, OSHA Safety, Grand
Rapids
October 21, OSHA Safety, Hinckley
November 4, Operations for
Nonmunicipal Systems, St. Peter
November 17, Risk Reduction in
Public Utilities, Marshall
November 18, Risk Reduction in
Public Utilities, Alexandria
December 9, Winterizing Your Water
System, Bemidji
December 10, Winterizing Your
Water System, Eveleth
December 15, Securing Financing for
Small Systems, Duluth
December 16, Securing Financing for
Small Systems, Belle Plaine
*Schools/meetings marked with an
asterisk include a certification exam
Minnesota Department of Health
121 E. 7th Place Suite 220
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency
(Wastewater Operator Training)
Contact Emily Armistead, 651/296-7251
September 15-16, Land Application
of Biosolids Seminar, Holiday Inn,
Detroit Lakes
September 22-24, Wastewater
Treatment Technology Seminar,
Ruttger’s, Grand Rapids
September 22-24, Land Application
of Biosolids Seminar, Holiday Inn,
Rochester
October 14, Pond Troubleshooting
Workshop, Holiday Inn, St. Cloud
November 4-6, Collection System
Basic Workshop, Maplewood Inn
November 13, Industrial Wastewater
Treatment Workshop, Thunderbird
Hotel, Bloomington
November 18-20, Land Application of
Biosolids Seminar, Radisson, Duluth
American Water Works Association
October 6, Consumer Confidence
Reports, Contact Mayme Larson, 303/
347-6204 or Stew Thornley, 651/2150771