Another Successful Teacher Institute MDH Moving in September The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Drinking Water Protection Section, as well as the MDH laboratory, will be moving in the latter part of September. The mailing address for samples being sent to the laboratory will be 601 North Robert Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 (although samples mailed to the old address will be forwarded for one year). The address for Drinking Water Protection staff will remain as P. O. Box 64975, St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975 (the street address will be 625 North Robert Street). The new phone numbers for drinking water staff are on page 7. A SWAMP-breaking in Ely For the fifth straight summer, the Education Committee of the Minnesota Section American Water Works Association (AWWA) conducted a Drinking Water Institute for educators, and this year, the committee conducted two Institutes—one in St. Paul (shown above) and the other in Detroit Lakes. Teachers learn about drinking water and then develop an action plan for incorporating inquiry-based activities on drinking water into their curriculum. Co-sponsored by the Science Museum of Minnesota and Hamline University Center for Global Environmental Education, the Institutes are funded by the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota AWWA (and its individual districts), and The Toro Company Giving Program. Upcoming Certification Exam Dates September 14, Spring Grove September 29, St. Cloud October 12, Redwood Falls October 18, Apple Valley October 19, Browns Valley October 26, Collegeville October 28, Faribault December 1, Thief River Falls See calendar on back page for more details Fall 2005 Volume Thirteen/2 The outdoor learning center at Vermilion Community College (VCC) in Ely will soon have a classroom for water training called the SWAMP (Safe Water for All Minnesota People). Part of the school’s program will be to train current and future water operators. “This program helps people learn about drinking water treatment, and all of us have a vested interest in that,” said VCC instructor Steve Kleist. Ceremonies to kick off construction of the SWAMP were held in July. Shown with shovels (left to right) are Cindy Cook and Mark Sloan of MDH, Steve Kleist and Mary Klein of VCC, Mark Van Avery of the U. S. Forest Service, Mark Wirtanen of Architectural Resources, Inc., Jon Harris of Laurentian Environmental Ventures, Inc., and VCC Provost Sue Collins. Inside: Introduction of MDH Engineers and EPA Manager for Minnesota Training News Arsenic Removal Reaches Climax Lessons from Walkerton Training News See page 7 for registration form and information The 2005 Northwest District Water Operators School will be held at the Best Western Inn of Thief River Falls from Tuesday, November 29 to Thursday, December 1. Registration for the school is $100 ($125 after November 16 or at the door). A block of guest rooms is being held until October 29 at a special rate. Call the Best Western at 218-681-7555 and mention American Water Works Association. Participants will receive 16 contact hours for their participation. A tentative agenda for the school is below. (Updated agendas for this and other schools are at http://mnawwa.org/section/districtschools.html.) Tuesday, November 29 Wednesday, November 30 8:30-noon • AWWA Web Site Information and Drinking Water Institute • My Kids • Arsenic • Water System Security • Water for People or • Exam Prep—Math 8:30-noon Operator Breakfast District Business Meeting—Kris Knutson, Chair Product Exposition with Mini-sessions 1:00-4:00 • Examination of Engelstad Arena Water Operations Thursday, December 1 8:00-noon • Back Safety • Filters • Storage Inspections by Robotics • Behavioral Modification or • Certification Exams (at 10:00) 1:00-4:00 Small Systems • Cross Connections and Backflow • Well Testing • Gimmicks and Gadgets • Distribution Modeling for Small Systems or Surface Water Treatment/Emerging Technologies • Surface Water Treatment Regulations • Variable Frequency Drives for Wells • Setting of Water Rates • Water Main Sizing and Testing or • Exam Prep—General Operations New Metro Location for November 3 Teleconference This fall’s American Water Works Association teleconference, The Shrinking Workforce: Hype or Crisis?, will be held on Thursday, November 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (with registration beginning at 10:30). Downlink locations will be at Memorial Union Hall at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and Lake Superior College in Duluth. The Twin Cities will have a new downlink location, at the Minnesota Department of Health’s Snelling Office Park in St. Paul, which is on the corner of Snelling Avenue and Energy Park Drive, just to the south of the state fairgrounds. Participants will receive 4 contact hours. Minnesota AWWA Conference The Minnesota Section American Water Works Association Annual Conference will be held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center from Wednesday, October 5 to Friday, October 7. Piping Seminar December 8 The Minnesota AWWA Education Committee, in conjunction with Northwest Pipe Company, will conduct a Piping into the 21st Century seminar on Thursday, December 8 at the MDH Snelling Office Park in St. Paul. The seminar will include the following topics: Steel Pipe, Ductile Iron Pipe, PVC Pressure Pipe Design/ Application, Protective Coatings, Corrosion Control, and Joint Restraint and Design. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. with sessions beginning at 9:00 and running until 4:00 p.m. The $35 registration fee ($45 after December 1) includes lunch and refreshments. Participants will receive 6 contact hours. Fall 2005 AWWA Operator Schools • Southwest Water Operators School, Redwood Falls Area Community Center, Redwood Falls, Wednesday, October 12. • Suburban Superintendents School, Redwood Community Center, Apple Valley, October 18. • Central Water Operators School, St. John’s University, Collegeville, Wednesday, October 26. • Southeast Water Operators School, American Legion, Faribault, October 28. 2 Drinking Water Protection Profile: Kim Larsen Kim Larsen is the new Minnesota Department of Health engineer for the Central-South district for Drinking Water Protection in St. Cloud. Although born in Minnesota, Kim was raised all over the country. She went to college at Montana State University and lived in Montana for about 20 years. She worked as a farmer for 15 of those years, “doing everything from driving a tractor to marketing cattle.” She moved to St. Cloud in 1999 and opened a consulting business for home interior and design. She loves to travel and, in Minnesota, enjoys the great golf, great bass fishing, and all the places to enjoy nature. Kim has a boyfriend, Wes, and a 12-yearold daughter, Tana. Kim shares her April 24 birthday with Kelly Clarkson, Chipper Jones, and Barbra Streisand. Waterline Published quarterly by the Drinking Water Protection Section, Minnesota Department of Health Editor: Stew Thornley Staff: Dick Clark Jeanette Boothe Noel Hansen 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). Past issues of the Waterline are available at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/ newsletters.htm 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 6 3 Arsenic Removal Comes to Climax the plant for pilot testing. At the Railroad tracks run through the end of the testing period, the water Red River Valley between system may purchase the plant for Moorhead and East Grand Forks in $1, an opportunity that Climax took northwestern Minnesota. Adjacent advantage of. The water system is to the tracks is U. S. Hwy. 75, with responsible for related infrastructure towns every five to seven miles, costs, and Climax had to come up their proximity determined by the with $100,000 for a new lift station need for water stops for the trains. and a structure to house the plant Along this same corridor, but equipment. Gunderson said they below the surface, pockets of raised water bills by an average of arsenic are present in the ground. $2 per customer per month to cover Communities such as Sabin, these costs and adds that they got Dilworth, Nielsville, Climax, and a bargain since the EPA contribuFisher have been contending with tion to the upgrade is $200,000. the problem, as have McIntosh and Gayhart Gunderson at the new arsenic plant in Climax. Gunderson added that they Fosston, along U. S. Hwy. 2. The cities have contended with the issue in different ways. considered a hook-up to Marshall-Polk Rural Water but that Fisher, for example, is hooking up to Marshall-Polk Rural this would have resulted in water bills being raised by $6 a Water System; Nielsville has drilled two new wells, both deep month, three times the increase that resulted from putting in enough to get below the arsenic. The city of Sabin was one the new plant. In addition, Gunderson said that except for of four community water systems in Minnesota to be the arsenic issue, their system has been working well for them. approved for a demonstration plant for arsenic removal from “We’ve got good wells,” Gunderson said. The two wells, each 141 feet deep, had been producing the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Its story was profiled in the Fall 2004 Waterline. Climax, a city water with levels of 36 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic. approximately 80 miles north of Sabin, has also constructed a Although high, these levels were still well below the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 50 ppb that had been demonstration plant courtesy of the EPA. For Climax, the demonstration plant happened after water in effect for many years. In the 1990s, however, the EPA superintendent Gayhart Gunderson read about the EPA looked closer at the health effects associated with arsenic program and contacted Karla Peterson at the Minnesota and eventually lowered the MCL to 10 ppb, with the new Department of Health. Peterson had been coordinating the standard to take effect in January 2006. Until the arsenic issue emerged, only chlorine and fluoride application process that resulted in four Minnesota systems being selected for demonstration plants. (In addition to Sabin were added to the water. Gunderson began taking care of and Climax, the city of Stewart and Big Sauk Mobile Home the water on a part-time basis in 1967. Employed by a manuPark were approved by the EPA.) “The EPA was impressed facturer of liquid fertilizer at the time, Gunderson would stop that the state was getting involved with this,” explained at the wellhouse to check the tower and system on his way to Gunderson, “which helped with getting the demonstration work each morning. Now that he is retired, he is able to spend more time with the water system, which also requires plant.” Under the program, the EPA works with the system to more attention with the addition of the new plant. determine the best treatment alternative and then provides Continued on next page Communities near Climax have dealt with arsenic issues in different ways, such as new wells in Nielsville (left) and a hookup to Marshall-Polk Rural Water System by the city of Fisher (right). 4 The plant has its two wells in a small building; a new structure was added on to house the filters and retention tanks. The ferric chloride mixture is added to the water out of the well at the same time as sodium hypochlorite, which replaced the chlorine gas. The flow remains continuous but slows as it passes through the retention tanks. The water then splits and goes into the filters at a pressure of 70 pounds per square inch (psi). An automatic backwash takes place when the pressure differential reaches 20 psi (i. e., when it exits the filters at no more than 50 psi); in addition, a backwash will occur every 48 hours or after 24 hours of service, whichever comes first. “It’s really simple, the process itself,” says Gunderson, noting that the plant has also been effective. With the addition of the iron to facilitate the arsenic removal, the levels of arsenic are down to 6 ppb, well below the new standard that will take effect next January. The plant consists of two filters, containing Macrolite media made by Kinetico, and two retention tanks, which slow down the flow to allow more time for the iron to oxidize. “The arsenic clings to the iron, so you’re removing the iron, which takes the arsenic out,” explains Gunderson. A problem the system had, however, was the lack of naturally occurring iron. When the plant went on-line in August of 2004, it brought the arsenic levels down to 10 ppb, right on the edge of the new MCL. To enhance the arsenic removal even further, in early 2005 Gunderson began adding iron to the water. He developed a mixture of water and 35 percent ferric chloride; with 34 pounds of the ferric chloride and 392 pounds of water, the mixture brings the ferric chloride down to six percent. Gunderson mixes a new batch every 15 days. The Soon-to-be Arsenic MCL By Karla Peterson As of the summer of 2005, approximately 30 community water supplies in Minnesota currently have at least one entry point to the distribution system (well or treatment plant) that exceeds 10 micrograms per liter (ì g/L) in arsenic. The Arsenic Rule, effective January 2006, requires that community supplies meet the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 ì g/L. Most of these 30 public water supplies have already taken measures to reduce arsenic to less than 10 ì g/L, and all of these supplies are required to find an alternative source, add treatment, or provide blending to reduce the arsenic concentration in the distribution system. The Minnesota Department of Health has taken quarterly samples at each entry point to the distribution system at these supplies. The results from those samples are averaged to determine which entry points are in exceedance. Once the rule is effective, a supply that has exceeded the MCL must continue quarterly monitoring and public notification until the result is reliably and consistently below the MCL. Supplies have several options in meeting the MCL. Some may choose to find an alternative source (new well or hookup to another supply), add treatment, or blend water from multiple sources to reduce arsenic concentrations. Some systems may have the option to drill a new well with lower arsenic concentrations, which may or may not contain elevated concentrations of other contaminants. There are several treatment options available for arsenic removal, including lime softening, conventional treatment, anion exchange, activated alumina, adsorptive media, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and optimized iron/manganese filtration. If a supply chooses treatment as a solution, most treatment options require that arsenic be oxidized prior to removal, since soluble arsenic is difficult to remove by most treatment methods. For those supplies with iron/manganese filtration, removal of arsenic may be a matter of modifying existing treatment (adding chemical feed and coagulation/flocculation). Some community water supplies have already taken the steps to reduce arsenic and have either installed treatment (Andover, Big Sauk Lake Mobile Home Park, Climax, Cokato, Dawson, Green Isle, Hamburg, and Northome), water-main interconnects (Alberta, Dilworth, Echo, Fisher, and Sunnyside Care Center), or new wells (Marshall-Polk Rural Water System, Nielsville, Ottertail Nursing Home, and Winsted). Other community water supplies are working to meet the new MCL and are in the design or construction phase to meet the rule by January 2006 (Fosston, Hanley Falls, Sabin, Stewart, and Ulen). 5 Sakry Blue (Union Blue, that is) International Falls water superintendent Tom Sakry (shown at the base of the statue in the photo to the right) set out to follow the military steps of Jacob Lemm, his great-grandfather who, according to family lore, had fought with Company G of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which distinguished itself in the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Tom toured the battlefield and posed next to the Minnesota statue at Gettysburg this summer. However, he also learned that “the family myth was definitely a myth.” Jacob was in the Ninth Minnesota, not the First. Jacob did see action at Brices Cross Roads in Mississippi, where the Ninth Minnesota fought a rear-guard action in June of 1864. Many of the Ninth (but not Jacob) were captured and sent to the notorious prison at Andersonville, Georgia. Tom plans to do more research on his ancestor and more traveling. EPA Manager Visits Minnesota Quiz Answers 1. b 2. b 3. a Bonus Question: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Lynne Roberts, the Environmental Protection Agency state program manager for Minnesota out of Region 5 in Chicago, visited her troops with a trip to St. Paul in July. “I’m pleased to be associated with such a dedicated group of professionals,” Roberts said. A native of the Chicago area, Lynne is a baseball fan in general and a Cubs fan in particular. Her hobbies include running (she is a marathoner) and tap dancing. She has two cats, Mary and Lily, and one husband. Lessons from Walkerton The June 2005 issue of Opflow, published by American Water Works Association, had an article on a waterborne disease caused by an breakthrough of E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter bacteria in Walkerton, Ontario, in May of 2000. The article included a list of practices that should be established and followed by operators to prevent other waterborne outbreaks: • Operators must establish acceptable performance limits for these operational parameters and continuously monitor them for warning signs of abnormal conditions. • Operators must understand their water system, including major contamination hazards in relation to the system’s barriers against contamination and the capabilities of those barriers for ensuring safe water. • Operators must recognize when they are facing a problem that is beyond their understanding or training and call for assistance. • Operators must translate knowledge of their system into operational monitoring parameters that warn of an increase in risk (e. g., rising source water turbidity) or inadequate performance of barriers to contamination (e. g., reduction in chlorine residual or increase in filter effluent turbidity). • Operators need to document “near failures” so that lessons can be learned from such close calls. • Operators’ understanding of their system should include recognition of any inherent vulnerability that needs improvement to reduce contamination risks. • Operators must work with management to anticipate plausible abnormal conditions and plan effective responses well before a serious incident occurs, including appropriate notification of regulatory authorities. Preparedness should support but not replace the need for thoughtful analysis and problem solving as events unfold. • Operators need to be prepared to take ownership of problems and lead efforts to ensure their managers fully understand the existence of problems that must be rectified. The entire article is at http://awwa.org/communications/opflow/2005/June/Features/Opflow_Feature_1_0605.cfm. Reprinted from Opflow, Vol. 31, No. 6 (June 2005), by permission. Copyright © 2005, American Water Works Association. 6 St. Paul MDH Drinking Water Protection Section Contact Information Downtown Staff Scheduled to Move September 23, 2005 New Address: 625 North Robert Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 Same P. O. Box: P. O. Box 64975, 55164-0975 Phone numbers: Receptionist: 651-201-4700 Fax: 651-201-4701 Renee Anderson: 651-201-4668 Mike Baker: 651-201-4651 Milt Bellin: 651-201-4699 Justin Blum: 651-201-4698 Jeanette Boothe: 651-201-4697 Dick Clark: 651-201-4667 Cindy Cook: 651-201-4696 Kathy Corson: 651-201-4695 Larry Curry: 651-201-4694 Al Epp: 651-201-4693 Sheila Grow: 651-201-4692 Gail Haglund: 651-201-4691 Noel Hansen: 651-201-4690 Dave Hokanson: 651-201-4689 Brian Johnson: 651-201-4688 Sarah Johnson: 651-201-4666 Marilyn Krause: 651-201-4664 Melissa LaFayette: 651-201-4687 Jim Lundy: 651-201-4649 Yarta Clemens Major: 651-201-4686 Dennis Maki: 651-201-4665 Doug Mandy: 651-201-4647 Judy McDermott: 651-201-4663 Madeline Merck: 651-201-4684 Brian Noma: 651-201-4683 Chris O’Brien: 651-201-4682 Christine Oliver: 651-201-4662 Bruce Olsen: 651-201-4681 Carrie Olsen: 651-201-4680 Karla Peterson: 651-201-4679 Lih-in Rezania: 651-201-4661 David Rindal: 651-201-4660 Steve Robertson: 651-201-4648 Theresa Roble: 651-201-4659 Kathy Russell: 651-201-4678 John Schnickel: 651-201-4658 Mark Sloan: 651-201-4652 Jerry Smith: 651-201-4657 Bob Smude: 651-201-4677 Rich Soule: 651-201-4676 Cindy Swanson: 651-201-4656 Stew Thornley: 651-201-4655 Jim Walsh: 651-201-4654 Kelly Wheaton: 651-201-4653 Betty Wheeler: 651-201-4669 Trudi Witkowski: 651-201-4670 Pauline Wuoti: 651-201-4674 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 registration, contact Jeanette Boothe at 651-215-1321 (651-201-4697 after September 23). To receive an exam application and/or study guide, contact Noel Hansen at 651-215-0762 (651-201-4690 after September 23) or Cindy Cook at 651-215-0751 (651-201-4696 after September 23). Southwest School, October 12, 2005, Redwood Falls Area Community Center, Redwood Falls. Fee: $25 ($30 after October 8 or at the door). Southeast School, October 28, 2005, American Legion, Faribault. Fee: $25 ($30 at the door). Northwest School, November 29-December 1, 2005, Best Western Inn of Thief River Falls. Fee: $100 ($125 after November 16 or at the door). AWWA Teleconference: The Shrinking Workforce: Hype or Crisis?, November 3, 2005. Fee: $65 ($85 after October 27 or at the door) Duluth; $55 ($75 after October 27 or at the door) for St. Paul (no lunch served at this site); $65 for Grand Forks until October 27 (no late registrations accepted for this site). Check the location you wish to attend: ____ Duluth ____ St. Paul ____ Grand Forks Piping into the 21st Century, December 8, 2005, Snelling Office Park, St. Paul. Fee: $35 ($45 after December 1). Name Employer Address City Zip Day Phone E-mail Address Please enclose the appropriate fee. Make check payable to Minnesota AWWA. Mail this form and fee to Drinking Water Protection Section, Minnesota Department of Health, P. O. Box 64975, St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975. Registration for the following schools must be directed to the person listed: October 18, 2005 Suburban Utilities Superintendents School, Redwood Community Center, Apple Valley. Fee: $25. Send to Paul Coone, City of New Hope, 5500 International Parkway, New Hope, Minnesota 55428 (checks payable to SUSA). October 26, 2005, Central Water Operators School, St. John’s University, Collegeville. Contact Lyle Stai, 320-212-8590. 7 CALENDAR Water Operator Training Minnesota Section, American Water Works Association October 5-7, Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Contact Dave Schultz, 320-650-1059. *October 12, Southwest Water Operators School, Redwood Falls. Contact John Blomme, 507-537-7308. *October 26, Central Water Operators School, St. John’s University, Collegeville. Contact Lyle Stai, 320-212-8590. *October 28, Southeast Water Operators School, American Legion, Faribault. Contact Paul Halvorson, 507-292-5193. *November 29-December 1, Northwest Water Operators School, Best Western Inn of Thief River Falls. Contact Stew Thornley, 651-215-0771 (651-201-4655 after September 23). Piping Into the 21st Century Decenber 8, Snelling Office Park, St. Paul, Contact Stew Thornley, 651-215-0771 (651-201-4655 after September 23). Minnesota Rural Water Association Contact Kyle Kedrowski, 800-367-6792. *September 14, Operation & October 26, Winterizing Your Water Maintenance, Spring Grove System, Detroit Lakes September 20, Quality Control in November 9, Cross Connections and Water Treatment Laboratories, Medford Backflow Control September 22, Quality Control in November 29, Management Institute, Water Treatment Laboratories, St. Cloud St. Cloud *September 27-29, Water CertificaDecember 6, Operation & tion Prep and Exam, St. Cloud Maintenance, Biwabik September 28, Securing Financing for MRWA Training for Small Systems, St. Cloud Nonmunicipal and Class E October 5, Securing Financing for Small Systems, New Ulm Operators *October 19, Operation & September 8, Brandon Maintenance, Browns Valley September 14, Monticello October 25, Winterizing Your Water September 20, Virginia System, St. Cloud Vermilion Community College, Ely, Contact Steve Kleist, 800-657-3608 or 218-365-7281 American Water Works September 21-23, Surface Water Association Teleconference September 26-28, Church Watercare November 3, The Shrinking Workforce: Hype or Crisis?, St. Paul, *Suburban Superintendents School October 18, Redwood Community Duluth, and Grand Forks, N. D. Contact Stew Thornley, 651-215-0771 Center, Apple Valley, Contact Paul Coone, 763-592-6762. (651-201-4655 after September 23). *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, see the training calendar on the MDH web site at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/wateroperator/trng/wat_op_sched.html MDH Drinking Water Protection web page: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water Presort Standard US Postage PAID Permit No. 171 St. Paul, MN Environmental Health Division 121 E. 7th Place Suite 220 P. O. Box 64975 St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
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