September Events Demonstrate
Need for Heightened Security
Auga, Si!
Most of the billboards in Cuba have slogans pertaining to the
revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959. Some
have anti-imperialist messages directed to their neighbor to
the north, the United States. But this one contained a message
on drinking water: “Drinking Water—Conserve It for a Healthy
Life.” For more on drinking water elsewhere, see the story on
desalinating water on San Juan Island in Washington’s Puget
Sound on page 4.
The terrorist attacks of September 11 emphasize the need
for all water utilities to maintain security measures and have
emergency procedures in place. A few days after the attacks,
a Minnesota municipal water system received a computergenerated security alarm at its treatment plant. Concerned
about a possible security breach, the utility worked with the
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to take its primary
treatment plant off-line and switch to backup wells. The
system issued a news release and informed its customers of
the situation. After the treatment plant was flushed and water
samples collected and analyzed, the utility resumed normal
operations a few days later. No sign of contamination was
found.
Some security tips to consider from the American Water
Works Association (AWWA):
• Make sure doors are locked and alarms set at treatment
plants and other facilities.
• Make security a priority and emphasize it at employee
and safety meetings.
• Discuss detection, response, and notification issues with
public health officials and establish protocols for them.
• Fence and lock vulnerable areas such as pump houses,
reservoir vents, and meter pits.
• Make arrangements with local law enforcement
officials for increased surveillance.
For more information, check the AWWA web site at:
http://www.awwa.org/.
Upcoming Certification Exam Dates
Closer to home, the Swede Hollow neighborhood in St. Paul is
continuing its immigrant heritage. This time, young Hmong
people are learning about the important role that the Mississippi
River and drinking water in general play in their lives. See the
story on page 2.
Winter 2001-02
Volume Nine/3
Inside:
March 7, St. Cloud
March 29, Rochester
April 5, Bloomington
April, Southwest Minnesota
May 10, International Falls
June 14, Brainerd
See calendar on back page for more details
Compliance Again High for Consumer Confidence Reports
Updates on New Rules
Training News
Swede Hollow Continues Immigrant Tradition with a Focus on Water
Once populated with shanties in the shadows of mansions
In using the neighborhood ecology for teaching about the
on the bluffs above, St. Paul’s Swede Hollow has its roots as
environment, Murphy notes that, “This community sits upon
an immigrant community.
one of the great rivers of the
Edward Phelan became the first “We’re using the East Side as the actual hands-on world, and we need to know
white inhabitant of the hollow in training ground for kids to understand their own about it and appreciate how valu1841, and the creek that once ran environment and to understand the opportunity to able it is to us in a daily way and
by his log cabin still bears his name. be a steward for their own community.”
also that we here—the children
Mills and breweries were
and the people who live here—
established in the ensuing decades with the fledgling
have a responsibility and that they can learn how to enhance
industries attracting Swedish immigrants. Over time, the
the Mississippi River instead of creating problems for the river.
ethnic mix changed as Italians and then Mexican-Americans
“We’re using the river as the focal point for teaching about
replaced earlier residents, who by this time had moved “up
stewardship and ecology and food and nutrition.”
onto the street.”
Toward these ends, the Community Design Center has a
Life in Swede Hollow was primitive, with no
Youth Enterprise in Food
electricity nor municipal services. The inhabitants
and Ecology program that
were out of sight and, for the most part, out of
includes
children’s
mind until the 1950s when city officials
gardens where organic
declared the area a health hazard and ordered the
produce, flowers, and
remaining families out and their homes razed.
herbs are grown; a
The houses and people are gone from Swede
farmer’s market by the
Hollow, the valley is vacant, and the hollow itself
rain gardens outside the
has been transformed into a park; however, its
Swede Hollow Café each
name lives on and now refers to the high ground
Saturday in the summer;
surrounding the former community. And it is in
a community-supported
this area, as well as in the adjacent East Side A children’s farmer’s market is held every agriculture program in
neighborhoods, that a new immigrant population Saturday during the summer in Swede Hollow. which members get a bag
is carrying on the heritage of Swede Hollow.
of produce and recipes each week; year-round teaching of
The original inhabitants of Swede Hollow got their water
environmental science; and a pair of intern programs.
from springs and used Phelan Creek as their sewer, leading to
One of the intern programs is for younger children, who
water and sanitation problems. The current residents of the
work four-to-six hours a week. Their activities include
area focus on the importance of the area as a watershed with
environmental arts projects, such as making herbal vinegar
particular attention to the Mississippi River.
and wreathes, products that they then sell. The Junior
“A new immigrant population is now happening,” says Ruth
Interns take field trips in the winter to learn about careers in
Murphy, the executive director of the Community Design
food, health, and ecology. During the growing season, they
Center of Minnesota, a 32-year-old non-profit corporation
help plant and maintain the rain gardens and sell produce to
that helps to revitalize low-to-moderate-income communities
local restaurants in addition to operating the farmer’s market
by providing technical assistance and operating programs. Its
and the community-supported agricultural program.
St. Paul offices are in a wedge-shaped block, next to the
For older children is the Youth Ecology Services, Teaching
Swede Hollow Café, which is adjacent to a corner lot that
Ecological Action and Mentoring (YES TEAM) program,
serves as the site of many of the center’s activities as well as
which started this year with six students from the area. Five
a couple of rain gardens, which were constructed by the
of the YES TEAM members are Hmong, and the other is
Upper Swede Hollow Neighborhood Association.
Cambodian. The YES TEAM works 20 hours a week with
“We’re using the East Side as the actual hands-on training
the Community Design Center, providing youth with special
ground for kids to understand their own environment and to
leadership training in health, ecology, and community service.
understand the opportunity to
These interns also have opportunities to
be a steward for their own commake connections and network with
munity,” Murphy continues.
professionals in various career fields to
“One of the reasons we’re doobtain work experience and skills.
ing this is that often we learn
Swede Hollow and the area around it
about the environment that’s
have changed in many ways over the last
far away—a rain forest in
half-century. But, in many ways, the
another part of the world—but
insights and philosophy of those who call it
we never really understand
home are the same.
what is happening in our own
“Now there is a new group of immigrants
backyard and the environmenwho
are making the East Side their home,”
One of the rain gardens is fed from the city’s
tal aspects and opportunities for
says Murphy, “so it’s a very fitting
storm sewer; the other gets water from the
creating a sound environment
program to use the Hollow and
run-off of the building that houses the
right where we live.”
surrounding area as a focal point.”
Community Design Center.
2
Spring 2002 Schools
The 2002 Metro Waterworks Operators School will be held from Wednesday, April 3 through Friday, April 5 at the Thunderbird
Hotel in Bloomington. The certification exams will be offered on Friday afternoon. Participants in the school
will receive 16 credit hours for their attendance. The registration for the school will be $105 ($130 after March 18 or at the
door).
Other spring schools:
Southeast School, March 27-29, Best Western Apache, Rochester
Southwest School, April (exact date and location to be announced)
Northeast School, May 8-10, Holiday Inn, International Falls
Central School, June 12-14, Cragun’s, Brainerd
Below is a registration form for the Metro School. The Spring 2002 Waterline will have the entire Metro School agenda with
another registration form that will include the other three-day spring schools.
MRWA Conference
2002 Teleconferences
The 2002 Minnesota Rural Water Association
(MRWA)
Technical
Conference will be held at the St. Cloud
Civic Center from Tuesday, March 5
through Thursday, March 7. For more
information, contact the MRWA office
at 218/685-5197 or via e-mail at
[email protected].
The American Water Works Association has set Thursday, March 14 and
Thursday, November 7 as the dates for its 2002 teleconferences. The topics will be
Emerging Treatment Technologies and Outbreak Detection of Emerging Diseases
in Drinking Water. The downlink locations serving the Minnesota Section will be
the Hennepin County Technical College in Brooklyn Park, Memorial Union Hall on
the campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and Lake Superior
College in Duluth. All AWWA members will receive registration information in the
mail. A registration form for the March 14, 2002 teleconference is below.
REGISTRATION FORM FOR TELECONFERENCE AND SPRING SCHOOLS
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 Jeanette Boothe at 651/215-1321.
AWWA Teleconference: Emerging Treatment Technologies or Outbreak Detection of Emerging Diseases
in Drinking Water.
March 14, 2002. Fee: $65 ($85 after March 7 or at the door).
Check location you wish to attend:
____ Hennepin County Technical College, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
____ University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
____ Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota
Southeast School, March 27-29, 2002, Best Western Apache, Rochester. Fee: $125 ($135 at the door).
Metro School, April 3-5, 2002, Thunderbird Hotel, Bloomington. Fee: $105 ($130 after March 18 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.
Name
Address
City
Zip
Day Phone
Employer
Please enclose the appropriate fee. Make check payable to Minnesota AWWA. 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.
3
Getting the Salt Out on San Juan Island
Desalination of water is a
homeowners created the Cattle
Point Water District to serve
way of life for residents in
their development as well as a
some parts of the world,
few homes in neighboring
especially in the energy-rich
subdivisions.
but water-poor nations of the
The homeowners associaMiddle East. In the United
tion has hired a licensed
States, there are normally
operator for the water system,
more feasible methods of
but much of the day-to-day
obtaining water than getting it
oversight falls on Critchlow, in
from the sea and reducing its
his role as the volunteer
salt content. However, the
technical adviser. “I call this
practice is growing on both
my toy,” says Critchlow. “No
coasts, particularly in off-shore
one else has the technical
locales.
interest. It’s been my hobby
One such venue is San
for the last six or seven years.”
Juan Island, part of the The Puget Sound from Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
The reverse-osmosis equipment is enclosed in a
archipelago within the Puget Sound in waters belonging to the
soundproof building. Critchlow says the building was
state of Washington. Twenty miles long and six miles wide,
specially designed for noise abatement, since it’s located in a
San Juan Island is not far from Vancouver Island and hugs
park on public land, in a forest with hiking trails near it. He
the boundary between Washington and British Columbia.
adds that the process is “fairly simple” and that they get a
Bob Critchlow has been a resident of Friday Harbor on
recovery rate of about 33 percent from the reverse-osmosis
San Juan Island for about 10 years. A geologist by trade, he
operation. In addition to the reverse-osmosis membranes,
moved to the island with an eye on retirement, not with plans
sand-media filters contained in fiberglass tanks are part of the
to become a water operator. However, the need for his
technical background, combined with his interest in
process.
electronics and instrumentation, led to him becoming the
The reverse-osmosis plant functions are monitored using
technical adviser for the recently formed Cattle Point Water
data-acquisition instruments and an on-site computer, linked
District and one of the pioneers within the state when it comes
by telephone lines to computers at the homes of the licensed
to reverse-osmosis treatment and desalination.
operator and Critchlow. This remote monitoring capability
greatly reduces the amount of time an operator is required at
the site and is an important factor in controlling the operating
costs.
Although the Cattle Point Water District has been in
operation for only two-and-a-half years, the planning for the
water system goes back several years before that. The state
of Washington had little prior experience with reverseosmosis plants and worked closely with Critchlow and others
in approving plans and making other decisions related to the
plant.
Another desalination plant on San Juan Island went on-line
about six months before the one owned by the Cattle Point
Water District, and Critchlow adds that several others are in
Bob Critchlow in front of the reverse-osmosis plant.
the planning or construction stage. “It’s becoming common,”
Critchlow lives in a housing development that is now 20
he says of a process that not long ago had been uncommon in
years old. There are currently 30 homes within the
the United States.
development with plans for another 30. The development
was originally served by six wells, each approximately 40 feet
in depth. The wells drew from a shallow aquifer, which has a
floating lens of freshwater on top of the salt water. Over the
years, the water produced by the wells became saltier, and it
was clear that this water system would not be able to serve
the entire development when it was fully built. By this time,
the original developer had sold all of the lots and attempted to
turn the development over to the homeowners, who balked at
the transfer because of the inadequacy of the water system.
Eventually, the homeowners and the developer reached a
settlement that called for the developer to provide the money
for a reverse-osmosis system that would draw water from the
Puget Sound and reduce the salt levels. From this, the
Plant controls with the reverse-omosis membranes to the right.
4
Compliance Corner—CCRs
Rules Update
By Pat McKasy
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Senior Compliance Officer
Since the Consumer Confidence Rule (CCR) was published by the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1998, Minnesota has
had one of the highest, if not the highest, compliance rates in the
country. The state achieved 99-percent compliance in 1999 and
matched that with the reports that were due by July 1, 2001. Only
eight systems, out of a total of 967 community water systems (CWS)
that are affected by the rule, did not submit the required paperwork
and therefore were issued a notice of violation.
MDH differs from most other state primacy agencies in that it
provides an individual CCR for each CWS in the state. It’s up to the
CWS on how it wants to use the state-made report; it can use it “as
is,” simply making copies for distribution to its customers, or it can
reformat the report we provide into a newsletter or pamphlet form.
The only stipulation is that every word that is in the MDH-generated
report must be included in any reformatted report. The MDH reports
contain all of the required language and results; nothing may be left
out, although information may be added, and MDH encourages
systems to address local concerns in their reports.
Although MDH has emphasized that everything in the
MDH-generated report must be used when reformatting, I see many
of the same mistakes over and over again.
The most common mistake made in reformatted reports is that the
paragraph on immunocompromised persons being more vulnerable to
contaminants is not prominently displayed. This paragraph must be
included word for word, and must be set apart in some way—such as
by the use of boldfaced, italicized, or underlined type—from the rest
of the report.
The second most common mistake is the omission in the reports of
the language about “opportunities for public participation in decisions
that may affect the quality of the water.” This language is included in
the MDH-generated report in the second paragraph under “Source of
Water.” It is not enough to provide a name and phone number for
people to call if they have questions; the “opportunities for public
participation” language must also be included.
Systems with populations of fewer than 10,000 have the option of
publishing the report, in its entirety, in a local newspaper, eliminating
the need for individual distribution. However, the rule stipulates that a
system using this option must inform its customers that the reports will
not be mailed to them, but that they are available upon request. Many
systems are not including this language in the published report, which
is a content violation. If your system uses this option, please check
and make sure this language is included somewhere in the report.
One of the options that systems that serve populations of 500 or
fewer have is to simply provide notice to their customers, either by
mail, door-to-door delivery, or by posting in an appropriate location,
that the report will not be mailed to them but is available upon request.
Systems that use this method are required to send a copy of this
notice, along with the copy of the report and Certification of Delivery
form, to MDH. Many systems did not provide a copy of this notice to
us, and this would also be considered a content violation.
These are just a few of the common mistakes that have been made,
although each year the mistakes have been fewer. Please take time to
look over the small booklet that we send out each year with your
ready-made CCR, Preparing and Distributing Consumer Confidence
Reports. This booklet outlines, in an easy-to-read form, exactly what
is required for CWSs to prepare and distribute their annual CCR.
5
Radon Rule
The rule is currently being reviewed by the EPA
to determine if it is an appropriate rule to reduce
health risks resulting from radon exposure. It is a
complex rule in that it addresses radon occurrences
in both air and water. The EPA has proposed an
Alternative Maximum Contaminant Level (AMCL)
in drinking water of 4,000 picoCuries per liter
(pCi/L) for those states that adopt an Indoor Air
Program. For states that do not adopt such a
program, a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of
300 pCi/L will be required. If the rule is adopted as
proposed, Minnesota will more than likely adopt an
Indoor Air Program, meaning that utilities will need
to meet the AMCL of 4,000 pCi/L. The rule is
expected to be finalized in mid-2002.
Monitoring has already begun for Minnesota
systems and will continue for the next several years.
Arsenic Rule
This rule is also being reviewed by the EPA to
determine if its original benefit/cost analysis is
complete and accurate. A final rule, with an MCL of
10 parts per billion (ppb), was published in the final
days of the Clinton administration; however, the Bush
administration put a hold on the rule and asked EPA
to review the benefit/cost data. The EPA has requested public comment on MCLs of 3, 5, 10, and
20 ppb. The final rule is expected to be published
in February 2002. In addition, the House of
Representatives and Senate both passed
amendments to appropriation legislation that
essentially forces a final decision by early next year.
MDH will begin monitoring Minnesota systems
that have historical levels of arsenic above 10 ppb to
determine which systems will exceed the
probable new MCL.
Groundwater Rule
This rule, previously known as the Groundwater
Disinfection Rule, could require the disinfection of
some groundwater systems. It is expected to be finalized in mid-2002.
Long-Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment
Rule
This rule will establish performance standards for
surface water systems serving fewer than 10,000
people. It is expected to be finalized this fall.
Revised Radiochemical Rule
This rule will be effective December 8, 2003. It
establishes MCLs for gross alpha particle activity,
radium 226 and 228, and uranium. The compliance
monitoring point has been switched from the
distribution system to the entry point (wells,
treatment plants, etc.). MDH is currently
monitoring to determine the systems that will qualify
for reduced monitoring in future years.
CALENDAR
Water Operator Training
Minnesota Section, American Water Works Association
*May 8-10, Northeast Waterworks
*March 27-29, Southeast Waterworks
Operators School, Best Western Apache, Operators School, Holiday Inn, InternaRochester. Contact Paul Halvorson, tional Falls. Contact Stew Thornley,
651/215-0771.
507/292-5193.
*June 12-14, Central Waterworks
*April 3-5, Metro Waterworks
Operators School, Thunderbird Hotel, Operators School, Cragun’s, Brainerd.
Bloomington. Contact Stew Thornley, Contact Bill Spain, 320/654-5952.
651/215-0771.
*April, Southwest Waterworks
Operators School. Contact Mark
Sweers, 507-389-5561.
American Water Works Association Teleconference
March 14, Brooklyn Park, Duluth, and Grand Forks. Contact Stew Thornley,
651/215-0771.
Minnesota Rural Water Association
Contact Kyle Kedrowski,
1/800/367-6792.
*March 5-7, Technical Conference, St.
Cloud Civic Center.
April 17, Operation & Maintenance,
Elbow Lake.
Training for
Non-Municipal Systems
Minnesota Rural Water Association
Contact Kyle Kedrowski,
1/800/367-6792.
April 9, Maple Grove.
April 23, Park Rapids.
*Schools/meetings marked with an asterisk include a water certification exam.
To be eligible to take a certification exam, applicants must have hands-on
operations experience at a drinking water system.
For an up-to-date list of events, check the MDH web site at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/dwp/pws/dwopcert/wat_op_sched.html
Minnesota Department of Health
121 E. 7th Place Suite 220
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED