Water Education
in Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes water superintendent
Jarrod Christen stands by a newly planted
tree, the start of an arboretum on the
grounds of Rossman Elementary School,
the first public school in the country to be
designated a Groundwater Guardian
Community by the Groundwater
Foundation of Lincoln, Nebraska. The flag
signifies the school’s status as a protector
of water. Christen sees education as a
critical component of providing safe water
to the city’s residents. The complete story
is on page 5.
Fall 2002
Volume Ten/2
Security and Vulnerability Assessments
The recently enacted Public Health
Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness
and Response Act of 2002 includes a
section on Drinking Water Security and
Safety in the form of an amendment to
the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The
amendment (Section 1433—Terrorist
and Other Intentional Acts) requires all
community water systems serving a
population greater than 3,300 to
“conduct a vulnerability assessment of
its system to a terrorist attack or other
intentional acts intended to substantially
disrupt the ability of the system to
provide a safe and reliable supply of
drinking water.”
Systems serving a population of
100,000 or more must complete their
assessment and submit it to the U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
by March 31, 2003. Systems serving a
population of 50,000 or more but fewer
than 100,000 must submit their
assessments by December 31, 2003.
Systems serving a population of greater
than 3,300 but fewer than 50,000 must
have their assessments in by June 30,
2004. Minnesota has two systems of
100,000 or more, 12 between 50,000 and
99,999, and 136 between 3,301 and
49,999. The Minnesota Department of
Water system security was the focus of a
July 24 press conference in St. Paul
featuring Minnesota governor Jesse
Ventura (left) and EPA administrator
Christie Whitman, who presented federal
grant money to Minneapolis and St. Paul
for use by the cities for vulnerability
assessments and security planning.
Health (MDH) will be conducting
workshops on vulnerability assessments
for those systems that are required to
complete and submit them.
In addition, a Security Vulnerability
Self-Assessment Guide,designed to help
systems that serve populations of 3,330
or fewer assess their critical components
and identify security measures to be
implemented, is available on the MDH
Drinking Water web site (http://
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/)
Upcoming Certification Exam Dates
October 22, Apple Valley
September 13, St. Cloud
October 23, Stewartville
September 18, Worthington
October 25, Austin
September 25, Walker
October 30, Collegeville
October 10, Redwood Falls
December 5, Fergus Falls
See calendar on back page for more details
Inside:
Training News
Consumer Confidence Reports
Small System Training Manual
Training News
See page 3 for registration information
Northwest School
November 7 Teleconference to
Focus on Treatment
The 2002 Northwest District Water Operators School will
be held at the Best Western and Bigwood Event Center in
Fergus Falls from Tuesday, December 3 to Thursday,
December 5.
Registration for the school is $85 ($100 after November 20
or at the door).
A block of guest rooms is being held until November 29 at
a special rate of $64 plus tax per room (includes a continental
breakfast). Call the Best Western at 1/800/293-2216 and
mention American Water Works Association to get the
special rate.
Participants will receive 16 credit hours for their
participation. A tentative agenda for the school is below.
This fall’s American Water Works Association Satellite
Teleconference, Emerging Treatment Technologies, will be
held Thursday, November 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
(with registration beginning at 10:30). Downlink locations are
Hennepin County Technical College in Brooklyn Park, the
Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul, Memorial Union
Hall on the campus of the University of North Dakota in
Grand Forks, and Lake Superior College in Duluth as well as
sites in North Mankato and Bemidji. Participants will receive
4 contact hours.
Registration will be $65 by October 31 and $85 after
October 31, or at the door ($55/$75 in North Mankato).
Tuesday, December 3
Other Schools
8:30-noon
• Water System Security Panel Discussion
• Dig This
• Water for People
or
• Exam Prep—Math
A number of one-day schools are being held around the
state this fall. They include:
• Southwest Water Operators School, Redwood Falls,
Thursday, October 10
• Suburban Superintendents School, Redwood
Community Center, Apple Valley, Tuesday, October 22
1:00-4:00
• Getting Along with Your Boss: Do You Work for a Jerk?
• Security and Liquid Handling
• Towers: Antennas and Security Issues
• Automation/SCADA
or
• Southeast Water Operators School, Austin,
Friday, October 25
• Central Water Operators School, St. John’s University,
Collegeville, Wednesday, October 30
• Exam Prep—General Operations
Wednesday, December 4
8:15-noon
Operator Breakfast
District Business Meeting—Cliff McLain, Chair
Featured Speaker—Sportsman Chad Koel
Product Exposition
1:00-4:00
Hands-on Sessions at Fergus Falls Water Plant
• Testing
• Wells
• Automation/SCADA
• Feed Pumps
• Water Main Tapping
• Plant Tour
Thursday, December 5
8:00-noon
• Certification and Training for Small Systems
• Arsenic and Radon/Radium
• Wellhead Protection
• Sampling
• Safety
or
• Certification Exams (at 10:00)
Waterworks Quiz
1. A chain of custody for a sample legally proves that
a. possession of the sample was under one person at all times.
b. responsible people had possession of the sample at all times.
c. the sample was locked up at all times.
d. the sample was properly analyzed.
2. The discharge rate of a piston-type pump
a. is constant as the main drive rpm changes.
b. is constant at a constant speed.
c. varies inversly with the head.
d. varies with the total dynamic head.
3. Both alum and ferric sulfate are affected by
a. alkalinity.
b. filter media selection.
c. other coagulants.
d. sunlight.
Bonus Question:
Translate: It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a
superannuated canine with innovative maneuvers.
Answers on page 4
2
Second Drinking Water Institute for Teachers Held in New Ulm
The teachers who attended the 2002 Institute will be
reaching approximately 3,000 middle-school students in each
of the coming school years.
The Institute was funded by donations from the Minnesota
Department of Health, Minnesota AWWA, and from the
Central, Northeast, Northwest, Metro, and Southeast districts
of Minnesota AWWA.
The next Drinking Water Institute will be held in Rochester
in June of 2003. If enough funds can be raised, the
Education Committee may conduct a second Institute
elsewhere in Minnesota.
Twenty-two teachers attended the 2002 Drinking Water
Institute, held in New Ulm in June. This is the second
Institute conducted by the Minnesota Section American
Water Works Association (AWWA) Education Committee and
done in conjunction with the Science Museum of Minnesota.
The Institutes are designed to teach science teachers about
drinking water and how to teach it in their classrooms. The
teachers will develop action plans on how to introduce
drinking-water education into their existing science
curriculum and will return for a follow-up session in October
to report on how they have used the material.
REGISTRATION FORM FOR TELECONFERENCE AND FALL SCHOOLS
You may combine 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: Distribution System Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance, November 7, 2002.
Fee: $65 ($85 after October 31 or at the door) for Brooklyn Park, Grand Forks, Duluth, and Bemidji sites; $55 ($75 after
October 31 or at the door) for North Mankato (no lunch served at this site).
Check location you wish to attend:
____ Minnesota Department of Health Distance Learning Center, Metro Square Annex, St. Paul, Minnesota
____ Hennepin County Technical College, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
____ University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
____ Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota
____ Northwest Technical College, Bemidji, Minnesota
____ South Central Technical College, North Mankato, Minnesota
Southwest School, October 10, 2002, Redwood Falls. Fee: $20 ($25 at the door).
Northwest School, December 3-5, 2002, Best Western and Bigwood Event Center, Fergus Falls. Fee: $85 ($100 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.
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.
Registration for the following schools must be directed to the person listed:
October 22, 2002, Suburban Utilities Superintendents School, Apple Valley. Fee: $25. Send to: Carol Blommel, City of Apple
Valley, 7100 West 147th Street, Apple Valley, Minnesota 55124 (checks payable to SUSA).
October 25, 2002, Southeast Water Operators School, Austin. Contact Paul Halvorson, 507/292-5193.
October 30, 2002, Central Water Operators School, St. John’s University, Collegeville. Contact Bill Spain, 320/654-5952.
3
Consumer Confidence Reports Rolling In
More than 95 percent of the Consumer Confidence Reports for 2001 were received by MDH by the July 1 deadline. The
compliance staff continues to work on receiving the remainder. Since the 1998 report, the first that community water supplies
were required to produce and distribute to their customers, Minnesota has had better than a 99-percent compliance rate each
year. Many of the reports received have been outstanding, according to Pat McKasy, the senior compliance officer for the
MDH drinking water program. They were entered into a contest to determine the best Consumer Confidence Report. The
winners from each of the six districts in the Minnesota Section of American Water Works Association are:
Central—Joint Water Board (Albertville, Hanover, St. Michael)
Northwest—Moorhead Public Service
Metro—City of Edina
Southeast—Owatonna Public Utilities
Northeast—City of Hibbing
Southwest—City of Mankato
The overall award winner will be announced during the Minnesota Section AWWA Annual Conference in October. Past
overall winners are Woodbury for 2000, Richfield for 1999, and Worthington for 1998.
Elsewhere, systems are reporting stories of both success and failure. An example of the latter took place with the Freedom
water supply in Carroll County, Maryland. A misplaced decimal point indicated that Freedom had a detection of .5 parts per
billion (ppb) of mercury, well above the maximum contaminant level of .002 ppb. Actually, the level detected was only .0005
ppb. The same decimal-point snafus occurred also with the reported detection levels on picloram and simazine.
On the other hand, the city of Martinsville, Indiana, was pleasantly surprised to receive a nice write-up in www.hoosiertimes.com
in early July. Often, water utilities fear that only bad news will attract media coverage, but the experience of Martinsville
indicates that news organizations will pay attention to good news, as well, and is a lesson to water suppliers everywhere to not
be shy about sharing their good news.
PWS Profile
Small System Training Manual
Now Available
Kathy Russell is an Office Administrative Specialist, Sr.,
providing support for the Community Water Supply program
as well as for engineers in the MDH district offices for
compliance activities. She and her husband, Dennis (who is
the “Lord of the Computers” at his company), have been
married three years. Kathy’s 20-year-old daughter, Kristin,
is an honor student at the University of Minnesota. She is in
her third year in the field of social science.
Kathy is from Minnesota but has lived elsewhere. As a
19-year employee of Burlington Northern Railroad, working
in a property management department, she was transferred
to Fort Worth, Texas, two different times for a total of six
years as well as to Seattle for four years. An interesting
experience was working for the personnel director of a
non-profit group of missionaries, which she did for four years
after returning to Minnesota from Texas. She chose not to
relocate when the group’s headquarters moved to
Washington, D.C., and instead came to the Health
Department.
“I’m still waiting for the most interesting part of my life to
happen,” says Kathy, “always with the expectation that it’s
just around the corner.”
By Sara Nelson
Do you have bad water? Are you having problems
controlling the chlorine levels in the water? Is there gunk in
the filters? If you answered no to all of these questions, keep
up the good work. If you answered yes, a new training
manual—Safe Drinking Water for Your Small Water System:
An Operator’s Guide—may have the solution to your
problems. This amazing manual provides a quick reference
to common water treatment problems, state regulations, and
phone numbers of people to contact for help.
It can all be yours, for the amazingly low price of zero
dollars. How can this be possible? The Minnesota Rural Water
Association received a grant from MDH to create a manual
for noncommunity nontransient/transient and community
nonmunicipal water treatment plants. If you were one of the
unlucky few who did not receive a manual yet, or have
misplaced yours, contact Minnesota Rural Water Association
for a new one at 1/800/367-6792.
Additional copies can also be found electronically on the
Web at www.mrwa.com and www.health.state.mn.us/divs/
eh/water/index.html.
Waterline
Published quarterly by the
Drinking Water Protection Section, Minnesota Department of Health
Editor: Stew Thornley
Staff:
Dick Clark
Jeanette Boothe
Noel Hansen
3. a
Bonus Question: You can’t teach an
old dog new tricks.
4
2. b
Past issues of the Waterline (in PDF format) are available at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/
water/binfo/newsletters/archivedmain.html
Quiz Answers
1. b
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).
Started by a Mistake, Educational Programs Still Pay Off in Detroit Lakes
What spurs growth? What drives progress?
Innovation is often the result of filling a need. It
sometimes comes in the form of dealing with a crisis and, in
the process, developing a new method or technique. In some
occasions, it can even be a result of a person with a vision
that is driven by the result of a mistaken notion. Such is the
case with the city of Detroit Lakes and the educational focus
it has adopted as part of its method of keeping drinking water
safe.
A new water filtration plant went on-line in Detroit Lakes
in 1985, around the same time the operations of the city’s
water and wastewater plants were combined. A few years
later, the University of Minnesota performed carbon dating
on Detroit Lakes’ groundwater supply and found evidence of
tritium, a radioactive isotope. The presence of tritium,
Believing that the highest level of learning is to be able to teach,
associated with the testing of hydrogen bombs after World
students from Rossman Elementary School presented their
philosophies, experiments, and knowledge with a multi-media
War II, is an indicator of a small admixture of recent water
presentation to teachers at the 2001 Drinking Water Institute.
that entered the ground since 1954.
determined that the original report indicating the presence of
Jarrod Christen, the water/wastewater supervisor for
tritium was in error and that the confined aquifer was not
Detroit Lakes, remembers the scare this threw into the water
vulnerable, as had been thought.
department. “We thought our aquifer was completely
The Groundwater Guardian program—though started on
isolated,” he said. The city has three wells, ranging in depth
incorrect information—had by this time taken on a life of its
from 232 to 237, in People’s Park, which is across the street
own. The city sent two teachers to a Groundwater Guardian
from the treatment plant. The wells penetrate a 150-foot
conference in California. “They came back charged up,”
layer of clay to the aquifer, which, according to Christen, is
Christen recalls, “and they inspired their students to put on a
so confined that People’s Park is just about the only place
water festival in Detroit Lakes.” Soon, students at Rossman
where they can reach it with wells. Yet the university report,
Elementary School were becoming the teachers as they
with its finding of tritium, indicated that the aquifer was
presented their knowledge on water and the need to protect
vulnerable.
the environment to others.
As a result, Detroit Lakes was high on the priority list for
The groundwater festival in 2001 drew students as well as
the Minnesota Department of Health wellhead protection
teachers from the Detroit Lakes School District and
program in the 1990s. The city began working with Dave
neighboring communities. The Rossman students also made
Neiman of Minnesota Rural Water Association as well as
a multi-media presentation to teachers that June at the
Bruce Olsen and Justin Blum of MDH in developing their
Drinking Water Institute, a three-day seminar in which teachprogram. “The inner wellhead delineation showed the
ers learn about water and develop curriculum on the topic to
10- and 20-year travel times for water were so large that we
bring back to their classrooms. For their work, Rossman
didn’t know where to start looking for where the newer water
Elementary School was named a Groundwater Guardian
was infiltrating the aquifer,” Chisten said, adding that their
Community by the Groundwater Foundation. Normally, this
number-one suspect was Little Detroit Lake, which is near
designation goes to municipalities. Rossman School was the
People’s Park. “That’s where we thought the link would be.”
first public school in the nation to be recognized in this
At Neiman’s suggestion, Christen also got involved with
manner. The students, accompanied by Christen and by
Groundwater Guardian, a program of the Groundwater
mentors and teachers, traveled to Pittsburgh last November
Foundation of Lincoln, Nebraska, that encourages
to receive a plaque for their educational efforts.
communities to begin and enhance groundwater awareness
Christen is spreading the program to other schools and now
and protection activities. Recognizing that education was as
has Holy Rosary Christian School involved. Holy Rosary has
significant as their sand filters in providing safe water,
begun holding its own water festival and hopes to match
Christen began working with students and teachers at Rossman
Rossman by becoming a GroundwaElementary School, which is across the
ter Guardian Community. Not to be
street from the water plant and just to
outdone, Rossman School has plans,
the south of the wellfield in People’s
started with the planting of a tree last
Park.
April, for an arboretum on its grounds.
Meanwhile, MDH continued to
The increased awareness makes his
investigate the source of tritium-laced
job easier, Christen says. “These
water, with particular scrutiny being
water festivals and other activities help
paid to Little Detroit Lake. Testing,
to get the word out about our
however, revealed no influence from
surface water sources on the city’s Two of the city’s three wellhouses in Detroit Lakes’ wellhead protection plan and
conservation.”
groundwater supply. In the end, it was People’s Park.
5
CALENDAR
Water Operator Training
Minnesota Section, AWWA
Annual Conference, October 2-4,
Cragun’s, Brainerd. Contact John
Thom, 651/765-2965.
*October 10, Southwest Water
Operators School, Redwood Falls.
Contact John Blomme, 507/537-7308.
*October 25, Southeast Water
Operators School, Austin. Contact Paul
Halvorson, 507/292-5193.
*October 30, Central Water Operators
School, St. John’s University. Contact
Bill Spain, 320/654-5952.
*December 3-5, Northwest Water
Operators School, Best Western and
Bigwood Event Center, Fergus Falls.
Contact Stew Thornley, 651/215-0771.
*Suburban Superintendents School
October 22, Redwood Community
Center, Apple Valley. Contact Carol
Blommel, 952/953-2441.
American Water Works Association
Teleconference
November 7, Emerging Treatment
Technologies, Brooklyn Park, St. Paul,
Duluth, Bemidji, North Mankato, and
Grand Forks. Contact Stew Thornley,
651/215-0771.
MRWA Training for
Non-Municipal Systems
Minnesota Rural Water Association
September 10, Cass Lake
October 1, St. Peter
Minnesota Rural Water Association
Contact Kyle Kedrowski,
1/800/367-6792.
*September 11-13, Certification Exam
Prep, St. Cloud
*September 18, Operation &
Maintenance, Worthington
*September 25, Operation &
Maintenance, Walker
October 16, Operation &
Maintenance, Nashwauk
October 16, Securing Financing for
Small Systems, St. Cloud
October 17, Securing Financing for
Small Systems, Mankato
*October 23, Operation &
Maintenance, Stewartville
December 4, 2002, Winterizing Your
Water System, Grand Rapids
December 5, 2002, Winterizing Your
Water System, St. Cloud
*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 training calendar on the MDH web site at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/einfo/wat_op_sched.html
MDH Drinking Water Protection web page:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water
Minnesota Department of Health
121 E. 7th Place Suite 220
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED