Photo by Max Haynes/MaxAir2Air.com
Now That’s a Secure Water Facility
Framed between the 50 millimeter guns of a B-25 as well as an escort of fighter planes are the St. Paul Regional Water Services
facilities at Lake Vadnais. The planes were part of a flyover during August 14 ceremonies at the state historical society
to commemorate the 60th anniversary of V-J Day. The planes continued in formation north for a few miles, and photographer
Max Haynes was able to capture this image out of the tail-gunner position of the B-25.
Upcoming Certification Exam Dates
April 4, Wells
April 7, Bloomington
April 28, Grand Rapids
December 1, Thief River Falls
March 9, St. Cloud
March 31, Rochester
June 9, Deerwood
See calendar on back page for more details
Winter 2005-06
Volume Thirteen/3
Inside:
New Water Plant at Sandstone Prison
Fluoride Supply Disrupted
$5.21 Fee to Become $6.36 Fee
Training Needs Survey Completed
New Water Plant among Upgrades at Sandstone Correctional Institution
“It all hit at the right time,” said
such important functions outside the
Kent Faulkner, the plumbing
secured area. This way, in the event
supervisor at the Federal
of a loss of control of the prison
Correctional Institution (FCI) in
itself, the water and power facilities
Sandstone, Minnesota, a lowwould not be in the hands of the
security facility for male offenders
inmates.
located approximately 90 miles north
The existing water treatment
of the Twin Cities.
system goes back to the opening of
The facility opened in 1939 through
the prison. Two wells (one outside
a transfer of a group of selected
the fence and the other next to the
inmates from the U.S. Penitentiary
treatment plant, which is directly
at Leavenworth, Kansas. The The new (left) and old water towers at Sandstone. underneath the existing 150,000
number of inmates through the 1940s was approximately 350
gallon tower) feed the plant, which has one pressure
before a drop in population, which caused the institution to
filter. The primary function of the plant had been iron
be closed and converted into a mental health hospital from
reduction, and the chemical addition included potassium
1949 to 1959. It then resumed its status as a federal prison,
permanganate, caustic soda, zinc orthophosphate, and
and the current inmate population hovers around 920.
chlorine.
In the early 1990s, the U. S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) did
When the need came to also reduce radiological
an infrastructure survey of all their prisons that were more
chemicals, Faulkner looked at the experience of the city of
than 50 years old. The survey determined that Sandstone
Hinckley, which is about 10 miles away. Sioux Valley
was still functional but would need some infrastructure
Environmental (SVEN) in Renner, South Dakota, worked
upgrades. Around this time, new rules regarding radium and
with the city on their problem, and J. R. Yde of SVEN then
radon in drinking water were being promulgated by the U. S.
provided direction for Sandstone FCI. Yde asked for a sample
Environmental Protection Agency, adding another issue that
of water, which Faulkner sent, and on the basis of that Yde
the prison would have to deal with. In addition, a decision
made recommendations for chemical changes, including
was made by BOP to expand the housing for prisoners with
manganese sulfate.
a new building that would increase the facility’s capacity by
By adjusting the chemical types and dosages, as well as
500. (Faulkner noted that when he started at Sandstone in
insertion points, Faulkner said they were able to reduce their
1986, the entire federal prison system had approximately
combined Gross Alpha Emitters from 24.0 picoCuries per
44,000 inmates. That number has more than quadrupled, to
liter (pC/L) to 5.4 pC/L with the addition of manganese
more than 186,000, in fewer than 20 years, creating a need
sulfate. The combined radium 226/228 dropped from
for more space. The prison in Sandstone is outside of town,
7.4 pC/L to 1.7 pC/L. However, this required the filter to be
allowing for room to expand.)
backwashed three times a day.
As a result of all this, the prison began a $20 million dollar
The new plant will have two gravity filters, each with a
project in late 2003 that includes a new powerhouse, boiler,
surface area of 10 x 12 feet. The media consists of 18 inches
and water treatment plant, all under the same roof. The
of anthracite on top of 12 inches of sand. The new plant will
water upgrades include a new 150,000 gallon clearwell and
be able to produce 500 gallons per minute (gpm), as
400,000 gallon tower.
compared to 320 gpm with the current plant. The existing
Unlike the existing plant and tower, the new facility will be
wells will be abandoned, and two new wells, each 460 feet
outside the prison fences. Not only will this make it easier
deep, have been drilled outside the new building.
for deliveries to be made, it satisfies a BOP desire to have
Faulkner says the new plant has been designed to do the
same chemical process but on a much larger scale. They
went to gravity filters with aeration to address the radon
issues. A bonus is that the aeration raises the pH of their
water, which means they will use less caustic soda.
Process
Water from the wells goes first to the aerator and then
drops to the detention basin as caustic soda, potassium
permanganate, chlorine, and manganese sulfate are added.
The travel time through the basin is about 30 minutes. The
water then goes through the filters and flows into the clearwell
and wet well as zinc orthophosphate is added for corrosion
control. Faulkner said they anticipate backwashing every
three days (instead of the current practice of three times a
day). From the clearwell, three high-service pumps raise the
water into the tower.
From left to right, Marc Wolff of the Bureau of Prisons,
Kent Faulkner of Sandstone, and Doug Kissick of
L. S. Black Constructors, the general contractor, in front of the
high service pumps.
Sandstone—Continued on next page
2
Sandstone—Continued from page 3
Marc Wolff, the project representative for the Bureau of
Prisons, noted the self-sufficiency of the new facility, which
is a need of the setting. “Redundancy is always built in.”
The existing plant is staffed around-the-clock, as will be
the case with the new plant. Inmates have helped out,
performing hourly readings and backwashes. Since the new
plant will be automated, inmates will be limited to cleaning
and doing preventive and general maintenance unless they
get a license. Faulkner said that although inmates have helped
with the water operations, they have not expressed interest
to be licensed, as they have with some of the other functions.
“They get their plumbing or electric license and that’s the
field they go into,” Faulkner explained. “That’s the goal behind the Bureau’s philosophy. We get a person here and as
long as they’re incarcerated, we try to give them a trade they
can take on the street and make themselves better versus
turning back to the life that got them here.”
Faulkner hopes that the new plant may inspire some to get
their water-operation license so they can do more in the plant
and possibly pursue a career in water after their release.
“The more trained inmates we get, the better. With the new
state of the art plant, there may be more interest among
inmates to get their licenses.”
Schoell & Madson, Inc. of Minnetonka, Minnesota,
designed the tower and wells, and Progressive Consulting
Engineers, Inc. of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, designed the
water plant. The general contractor is L. S. Black
Constructors, Inc. of St. Paul.
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
651-201-4700; TDD 651-201-5797
or toll-free through the Minnesota Relay Service,
1-800-818-9318 (ask for 651-201-4700).
Past issues of the Waterline are available at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/
newsletters.htm
“Every strike brings me closer to the
next home run.”
—George “Babe” Ruth
REGISTRATION FORM FOR TELECONFERENCE AND SPRING 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 651-201-4697.
To receive an exam application and/or study guide, contact Noel Hansen at 651-201-4690 or Cindy Cook at 651-201-4696.
Piping into the 21st Century, December 8, 2005, Snelling Office Park, St. Paul. Fee: $35 ($45 after December 1).
AWWA Teleconference, Automation and Controls, March 9, 2006.
Fee: $65 ($85 after March 2 or at the door) Duluth; $55 ($75 after March 2 or at the door) for St. Paul (no lunch served
at this site); $65 for Grand Forks until March 2 (no late registrations accepted for this site).
Check the location you wish to attend: ____ Duluth ____ St. Paul
____ Grand Forks
Southeast School, March 29-31, 2006, Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, Rochester. Fee: $125 ($135 at the door).
Southwest School, April 4, 2006, Wells. Fee: $25 ($30 at the door).
Metro School, April 5-7, 2006, Ramada Inn and Thunderbird Convention Center. Fee: $135 ($170 after March 24 or at
the door).
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.
3
Fluoride Supply Disrupted
Cook’s Corner on Certification
By Cindy Cook, MDH Certification Officer
Contract Operators Wanted
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
certification office is developing a list of certified water
operators to distribute to water systems when they call
us for help. Many of these small communities are
interested in contracting with a local certified operator
who will provide moderately priced, part-time operator
services. The contract operator is responsible for actual
operation of the system, meeting the MDH monitoring
and reporting requirements, and ensuring that the system
provides safe drinking water to consumers. If you are
interested in having your information placed on the
contract operator contact list, call me at 651-201-4696,
or Mark “Shooter” Sloan at 651-201-4652.
No More Double Secret Probation
Violators Will Not Be Tolerated! Fines Will Be Issued
In 2005, Notices of Violation were issued to 106
public water supplies for failure to maintain at least one
person who is certified in a class equal to or higher than
the class of the water system. The majority of these
systems returned to compliance by obtaining a certified
operator. However, 19 systems (5 community and 14
non-community) did not comply with the violation notices
and were issued Administrative Penalty Orders
including fines of up to $3,500.
Is Your License For Sale?
Contract operators are certified operators who have
valuable skills, knowledge, and abilities to sell to a water
system. They also have the responsibility to provide safe
drinking water, be on site, perform operational duties, and
submit a copy of the contract to MDH. If you’re a
contract operator, don’t sell your profession and
priceless experience short by “selling your license” or
merely signing paperwork for a water system. Is
jeopardizing the community’s health and your
certification worth a few quick bucks? For a copy of
MDH’s contract requirements call me at 651-201-4696
or Shooter Sloan at 651-201-4652.
Correction on New Addresses
The zip code listed in the Fall 2005 Waterline for the
new building of the MDH Drinking Water Protection
staff was incorrect. Here are the correct addresses:
MDH laboratory
601 North Robert Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-2531
Freeman Building (where DWP staff are)
625 North Robert Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-2538
Mailing address for DWP staff (same as before):
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975
By David Rindal
Water fluoridation product suppliers have begun to experience
temporary supply disruptions resulting from production limitations.
According to the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is primarily due to
the withdrawal of hydrofluosilicic acid producer U.S.
Agrichemicals Corporation (Fort Meade, Florida) from the
fluoride market. Municipal community water systems are advised
to seek alternate contracting or multiple sourcing through their
preferred supplier(s) if timely delivery of fluoride products
becomes difficult.
Fluoride treatment chemicals, because of their co-production
through the phosphate fertilizer industry, have an availability that
is dependent on the phosphate fertilizer market. The various
fluoride products, following extraction from fluoridated apatite
ores, are distributed through suppliers to the water industry and
non-water treatment end users. CDC announced in an August
2005 statement that “recent shortages of fluoride products have
tended to be more regional in focus as a function of supply chain
disruptions. The current emerging shortage appears to be a
function of national production capacity and will be experienced
throughout the water industry.”
It is anticipated by CDC that several factors may cause
disruptions to worsen, including an anticipated increase in
community water fluoridation in California and other western
states as well as increased demand for fluoride products for
non-water treatment applications. Existing fluoride producers can
compensate only partly for these developments in the short term.
CDC also foresees costs of water fluoridation products
increasing faster than the increase in costs for other water
treatment chemicals. Higher prices will signal that additional
investment in production capacity is needed, but it will take time
for such additional capacity to be realized. Therefore, CDC feels
that these effects on the market will likely persist into the
medium-term.
It is recommended that, in accordance with CDC
recommendations and the American Water Works Association’s
“Manual of Water Supply Practices-M4, Fifth Edition, Water
Fluoridation Principles and Practices,” water facilities maintain a
three-month supply on site. Furthermore, drinking water facilities
should verify the quantity of their stored fluoride compound
supply and proactively work with their supplier(s) before
approaching supply exhaustion. As always, the fluoride chemical
quality must be maintained through accordance with NSF
International/ANSI Standard 60.
Minnesota systems should contact me at the Minnesota
Department of Health (651-201-4660) if they expect or
experience any fluoridation process interruptions.
Capacity Development Report Available
The Minnesota Department of Health is required to inform the
govenor regardng the effectiveness of our capacity development
program every three years. The report that was sent to the
governor is on-line at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/dwrf/
capdevreport05.htm
The report indicates that all is well, and that the state’s drinking
water program is in the 99th percentile for compliance.
4
Exam Refresher Format Is Changing
Do You Have E-mail/On-Line Access?
If Not, We Need to Know
By Cindy Cook and Mark Sloan
MDH Certification Officers
The Minnesota Department of Health has mandated that
newsletters can no longer be printed and mailed. However,
exceptions may be made, and we need to hear from people
who do not have this access and will continue to need a
paper copy mailed to them.. We have also been making the
Waterline available on-line and providing e-mail notification
when a new issue is posted.
Please fill this out and return to the address listed below.
___ I do not have access to the on-line version of the
Waterline and need a printed copy mailed to me.
Effective immediately, we are changing the style of the
classroom-style examination preparations.
For the past several years, we have been teaching
material out of the Study Guide to help prepare operators to
take the exam. Often, operators have shown up at these
sessions without any prior preparation or studying.
It is expected that operators should be working toward
their certification in advance of the exam. This will include
studying and taking advantage of a multitude of exam-prep
materials in the form of videos, CD-ROMs, online classes,
and other trainers. Additionally, we have two training
centers and remote exam sites at Ely and St. Cloud that have
excellent teachers and programs.
Exam schedules will not be reduced. However, different
people may be doing the refresher sessions, which will be in
a different format.
The operators will be offered training but the new format
will require the operator to be more responsible, more
self-reliant, and it will instill in operators a sense of
professionalism, thus making them better operators, people,
and better able to protect public health and save the world!
If anyone has questions, feel free to call or e-mail Cindy at
651-201-4696, [email protected], or Mark Sloan
at 651-201-4652, [email protected].
___ I would like to receive e-mail notification each time a
new issue is put on line and would like to be taken off the
mailing list for printed copies.
___ I would like to receive e-mail notification each time a
new issue is put on line but would like to remain on the
mailing list for printed copies.
E-mail address:_________________________________
Please print the name and address as it appears on the
mailing label on your newsletter:
Survey Reveals Training Needs
Minnesota American Water Works Association (AWWA)
conducted a training needs survey this past summer.
Surveys were sent to 731 superintendents of municipal
water systems in the state; 215 were filled out and returned
(better than a 25 percent return rate, which is very good).
From the survey, the section learned that there is a desire
for more training, including stand-alone workshops (apart from
the normal district schools held within the section each year),
with the most sought-after topics being basic water
treatment, wells, filters, hydrants, sampling/testing, pumps,
OSHA regulations, and maps and records.
The Minnesota Section Education Committee discussed
this in October, and it will be brought up at the next meeting
of the Minnesota Training Coalition. Meanwhile, individual
districts within Minnesota AWWA are using the survey to
help plan their schools. Here are the upcoming Minnesota
AWWA schools for the spring of 2006:
You may also clip or copy the mailing label and include it.
Return to:
Stew Thornley
Minnesota Department of Health
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975.
$5.21 Fee to Become $6.36 Fee
The Minnesota Legislature has approved an increase in
the drinking water service connection fee from $5.21 to $6.36,
effective July 1, 2006.
The drinking water service connection fee was established
in 1993 to help fund program activities related to compliance
with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. These activities
include sanitary surveys, sample collection and analysis,
compliance determination, wellhead protection, enforcement,
and various technical assistance services.
The fee had not changed since it was established in 1993;
however, new federal Safe Drinking Water regulations
have continued to be implemented. Program expenses were
exceeding the revenue generated by the fee, and in order to
continue providing the services necessary to help water
utilities remain in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water
Act, an increase in the fee was needed.
Utilities are advised to inform the people that handle their
customer billing about this change.
Those with questions may contact Doug Mandy at the
Minnesota Department of Health at 651-201-4647.
• Southeast School, Ramada Hotel and Conference Center,
Rochester, March 29-31.
• Southwest School, Wells, April 4.
• Metro School, Ramada Inn and Thunderbird Convention
Center, Bloomington, April 5-7.
• Northeast School, Ruttger’s Sugar Lake Lodge, Grand
Rapids, April 26-28.
• Central School, Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge, Deerwood,
June 6-9.
5
CALENDAR
Water Operator Training
Minnesota Section, American
Water Works Association
*November 29-December 1,
Northwest Water Operators School, Best
Western Inn of Thief River Falls.
Contact Stew Thornley, 651-201-4655.
*March 29-31, Southeast Water
Operators School, Ramada Hotel and
Conference Center, Rochester. Contact
Paul Halvorson, 507-292-5193.
*April 4, Southwest Water Operators
School, Wells. Contact Mark Sweers,
507-389-5561.
*April 5-7, Metro Water Operators
School, Ramada Inn and Thunderbird
Convention Center, Bloomington.
Contact Jeanette Boothe, 651-201-4697,
or Stew Thornley, 651-201-4655.
*April 26-28, Northeast Water
Operators School, Ruttger’s Sugar Lake
Lodge, Grand Rapids. Contact Jeanette
Boothe, 651-201-4697, or Stew Thornley,
651-201-4655.
*June 6-9, Central Water Operators
School, Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge,
Deerwood, Contact Lyle Stai,
320-212-8590.
Minnesota Rural Water Association Contact Kyle Kedrowski, 800-367-6792.
December 6, Operation &
MRWA Training for
Maintenance, Biwabik.
Nonmunicipal and Class E
*March 7-9, Technical Conference,
Operators
St. Cloud Civic Center
April
11,
Austin
April 12, Operation & Maintenance,
April 20, Cohasset
Elbow Lake
Piping Into the 21st Century
December 8, Snelling Office Park,
St. Paul, Contact Stew Thornley,
651-201-4655.
American Water Works
Association Teleconference
March 9, Automation and Controls,
St. Paul, Duluth, and Grand Forks, N. D.
Contact Stew Thornley, 651-201-4655.
Midwest Regional Water Utility Management Institute
March 13-15, Continuing Education and Conference
Center, St. Paul. Contact Glen Gerads, 952-563-8775.
*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
625 North Robert Street
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED