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Newsletter

for

Minnesota's

Source

Water

ProtectIon

Program

Volume 13, Winter 2005

More Ideas for Implementing Wellhead Protection


The previous issue of the Protector introduced a variety of strategies that could be used to implement wellhead protection. This issue continues that theme with additional implementation ideas. If you have any questions about these examples, please contact your Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) source water protection planner, the contact person listed in the article, or the MDH Source Water Protection Unit at 651/215-0800. To read the previous edition of the Protector go to http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/swp/protector/summer04.pdf.

Cleaning Up Around Your Wells


Housekeeping in the Inner Wellhead Management Zone
One of the most straightforward and easiest ways to implement wellhead protection is for water systems to take a look at the area immediately surrounding their well(s) and eliminate potential sources of contamination. This is often an appropriate first step, particularly for community water systems which need to have ownership, easement, or control of the area within 50 feet of their well(s). This 50-foot radius is also considered an exclusion zone where no potential contaminant sources should be present (except items directly related to the operation and maintenance of the well itself). Additionally, Minnesotas Wellhead Protection Rule requires that all public water systems manage potential contaminant sources in the area within 200 feet of their well(s) called the Inner Wellhead Management Zone (IWMZ). This requirement applies even if the water system has not formally entered the wellhead protection planning process. So, not only does it make good sense to address potential contamination in the area around your well(s), it is also required. Examples of protective steps include: moving chemical storage, removing unused chemicals or equipment, providing containment for potential spills of stored chemicals, and preventing chemical mixing or preparation near the well.

Also, be on the lookout for any businesses or other facilities within 200 feet of the well that may contribute to contamination, and provide them with educational information about managing their processes to reduce the chance of contamination. In addition to the immediate cleanup steps you take, also consider some long-term strategies to protect your wells by managing the IWMZ, including: <Working with local planning officials to be aware of potential contaminant sources (such as floor drains not connected to sewer) that may be introduced as part of nearby construction. <Moving crop production away from wellheads to reduce the chance of contamination from nitrate, fertilizers, and pesticides. <Consider working with local landowners to enroll cropland near the well(s) into the conservation reserve program (CRP), particularly if your well is located in a vulnerable aquifer. Note that the federal government offers continuous signup for CRP for land within 2000 feet of a public water supply well. <Consider restricting access to the immediate area around the well, as appropriate.

Examples
Early in its wellhead protection efforts, the City of Medford decided to address potential contaminant sources in the area close to its public water supply well. As a result, a road salt storage pile was moved away from the well to prevent potential contamination. Efforts were also made to cleanup, move, or provide secondary containment for chemicals stored at the nearby city shop. Emergency planning steps were taken because a rail line runs near the well. Also, security around the wells was increased.
Implementation -Continued on Page 2

Inside: More Wellhead Protection Strategies (Page 2) Assistance from MRWA (Page 3) CWI Online (Page 4)

Implementation - Continued from Page 1

In addition to these specific steps at the wellhead, the city also supported, in cooperation with Steele County, household hazardous waste collection events. The citys wellhead protection team and local volunteers helped out with these events. The city also targeted sealing of unused, unsealed wells in its wellhead protection area. For more information on Medfords efforts, contact Marie Sexton at 507/444-2460 When it initiated its wellhead protection efforts, the City of St. Peter also targeted its IWMZ for cleanup and improved maintenance.

Early efforts involved general improvement in the maintenance and operation of city facilities in this area, along with the relocation of a compost site away from the well field. Following initial cleanup efforts, the city instituted an annual review of the IWMZ with a focus on maintenance and operation to reduce potential risks for contamination. The task of completing this annual review is rotated among Public Works staff to spread knowledge among staff and to bring a fresh set of eyes to the situation each year. To find out more, contact Pete Moulton at 507/934-0670. reaching these wells. For more information, contact Paynesvilles Ron Mergen at 320/243-3714. The City of Lakefield identified fuel contamination of soil related to an old power plant in town, but its impact on the city water supply wells was unknown. The city worked with MPCA, which requested that MDH conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine the potential effect on the citys water supply. The MDH assessment found that the city wells were not vulnerable (due to their construction and the nature of the aquifer they use) and therefore the wells should not be impacted by the contamination. In addition, this process spurred efforts to look for other potential contamination sources. As result, two old, unused wells were identified and sealed by the city. Two more are scheduled to be sealed soon. For more information, contact Jim Koep of Lakefield at 507/662-5457. The City of Northfield took a proactive approach to potential contaminant sources. The citys wellhead protection team identified potential hazardous waste generators - including service stations with fuel tanks - in and near the wellhead protection area. Once these were identified, a member of the wellhead protection team with expertise in hazardous materials visited the facilities in a consultative role and offered recommendations for improved handling of hazardous materials. As a result, a number of improvements were made at these facilities and the general protection of the citys water supply improved. Contact George Kinney of Northfields Wellhead Protection Team at 952/891-7541 for more information. Also, please keep in mind that if you see a spill happen, contact the Minnesota Duty Officer immediately at 800/422-0798.

Dealing with Leaking Fuel Storage Tanks, Spills, and Plumes


A number of Minnesota communities have addressed identified or potential contamination from fuel tanks, spills, and chemical plumes in groundwater. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) aid water systems in identifying and characterizing these types of potential contaminant sources. In some cases, this happens as MDH works with the water system in the process of drafting its wellhead protection plan. The types of actions a water system may take regarding leaking storage tanks, spills, and plumes include: <Responding to an existing contamination source that has been determined to impact a public water system. < Responding to a potential source of contamination, and determining if it is a threat. <Pro-actively cataloguing potential sources of contamination and encouraging best management practices. Examples of each of these types of action follow:

Examples
The City of Paynesville had to deal with leaking fuel tanks that impacted the citys water supply wells. Initially, the MPCA conducted an investigation to identify the source and the location of the contamination plume. The city, MDH, and MPCA then worked together to identify locations for two new wells which would not be impacted by the plume. The MPCA was able to help bear some of the cost for the construction of these new wells. In addition, one of the citys former wells no longer supplies drinking water - but was taken over by MPCA and now pumps on a round-the-clock basis to help control the migration of the plume. This protects other nearby city wells by preventing contamination from The Protector, Winter 2005

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Minnesota Rural Water Association to Assist in Wellhead Protection Plan Implementation


Nearly 100 public water systems in Minnesota have completed wellhead protection plans and over 200 more have entered the wellhead protection program. As water systems complete the planning process, a new technical assistance need has arisen aid in implementing wellhead protection plans. In order to help meet this need, the Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) has added two new staff positions to aid in plan implementation. MRWA has worked closely with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) over the past several years to help water systems in preparing wellhead protection plans. It has become clear, however, that in order for approved plans to become reality, some systems may need assistance in determining how to get protection measures working on the ground. In response to this need, the United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency have funded these two positions at MRWA. Although the positions are new, the individuals filling them are MRWA veterans with lots of experience in wellhead protection planning - Dave Neiman and Mark Wetlauffer. They will be available to work with groups of water systems, agencies, and local Dave Neiman government units to help ensure that plans are implemented; and to aid in addressing issues such as funding, networking, and cooperation between government units. They are also able to assist single water suppliers with implementation of wellhead protection plans, provided Mark Wetlauffer that a sufficient number of other local agencies, boards or units of government are involved.

Among the first projects Dave and Mark are addressing is the Cold Spring Area Wellhead Protection effort, involving the City of Cold Spring, Cold Spring Granite, Gluek Brewing Company, Gold 'n Plump, Cold Spring Alano, Stearns County, Sauk River Watershed District, and Minnesota Department of Agriculture. This group will be developing implementation strategies to focus needed attention on urban stormwater and lawn management; agricultural nutrient management practices; feedlots; rural on-site sewage treatment systems; and unused, unsealed wells. If you are interested in finding out more about this innovative technical assistance program, contact Dave (218/820-0595/daven@brainerd.net) or Mark (320/815-4991/markw@brainerd.net) or visit MRWAs web site at www.mrwa.com. ...And Still Continues Assistance in Plan Development Aaron Meyer has joined MRWA as a groundwater specialist to assist water systems in developing wellhead protection plans - particularly those serving a population of less than 10,000 customers. Aaron fills the position previously held by both Dave and Mark and brings with him a lot of local government Aaron Meyer experience. If you'd like Aaron's help in developing your wellhead protection plan or working on other source water protection issues, contact him at 320/808-7293 (ameyer@astound.net). Robyn Hoerr of MRWA also continues her work in the development and implementation of wellhead protection plans, particularly in southeastern Minnesota and the metro area. For assistance, contact Robyn at 218/821-5028 (robynmrwa@hotmail.com).

Robyn Hoerr

Progress in Minnesota Wellhead Protection Efforts (as of January 2005)


Public Water System Type Overall Number of Systems (using wells) 930 559 6,012 Managing Inner Wellhead Management Zone (200-foot radius) All All All Working on Part 1" of Wellhead Protection Plan 125 2 Not Required Working on Part 2" of Wellhead Protection Plan 75 13 Not Required Have Completed and Are Implementing Wellhead Protection Plan 88 9 Not Required

Community Nontransient Noncommunity Transient Noncommunity

The Protector, Winter 2005

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Minnesota Department of Health Division of Environmental Health Source Water Protection Unit 121 East Seventh Place, P.O. Box 64975 St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975

Presort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 171 St. Paul, MN

Web Resources for Wellhead Protection

County Well Index (CWI) Online Now Available


The Minnesota Department of Health, in cooperation with the Minnesota Geological Survey, has recently made available to the public an online version of the County Well Index (CWI) database. This application, CWI Online, can be accessed on the web at the following address: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/cwi/index.html CWI Online contains information from the CWI database, including the location, depth, and static water level for wells drilled in Minnesota. It also contains construction and geological information from the well record (well log) for many wells. Additionally, CWI Online provides mapping of wells onto aerial photos, allowing users to visually identify well locations.

CWI Online can be of use to water system personnel and wellhead protection teams in identifying private wells located near public water supply wells or in the Drinking Water Supply Management Area (DWSMA) of public water supply wells. Please note that, due to security concerns, public water supply wells are not included in the CWI Online application. For more information about CWI Online, contact Brian Johnson at 651/215-0802.
The Protector is the Newsletter of the Source Water Protection Unit, Drinking Water Protection Section, Minnesota Department of Health The Protector staff: Bruce Olsen, Art Persons, Trudi Witkowski, Dave Neiman, Sheila Grow, and Dave Hokanson To obtain this newsletter in another format, call: Unit Receptionist (651) 2150800, Division TDD (651) 215-0707, or for Greater Minnesota through the Minnesota Relay Service 1-800-627-3529 (ask for [651] 215-0800). The Protector is also available at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/index.html (You may subscribe electronically to The Protector, and other MDH publications, at the web site listed above.)

The Protector, Winter 2005

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