The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2024-04-11 UC Packet AGENDA UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 11, 2024 8:00 AM I. ROLL CALL II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. February 8, 2024 Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes III. OPEN FORUM – the open forum allows the public to address the commission on subjects which are not a part of the meeting. Commission may take action, reply, or give direction to staff. Please limit your comments to 5 minutes or less. IV. NEW BUSINESS 2. Update on PFAS – a. Presentation b. Talking Points c. TKDA update V. DIRECTOR/SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE VI. COMMISSIONER ITEMS VII. ADJOURN 3. Next meeting date is May 9, 2024 UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2024 8:00 A.M. Utilities Superintendent Benson called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Present: Chairman Speedling, Commissioners Hutter, Whitcomb, Councilmember Polehna Absent: Commissioner Hudak Staff: Utilities Superintendent Benson, Public Works Director Sanders APPROVAL OF MINUTES Possible approval of minutes of January 11, 2024 meeting Motion by Chairman Speedling, seconded by Commissioner Whitcomb, to approve the minutes of the January 11, 2024 meeting. All in favor. OPEN FORUM There were no public comments. NEW BUSINESS PFAS Communication Plan - TKDA Public Works Director Sanders explained that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued a Health Risk Advisory for Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at Well #6 (Fourth Street). The well has been turned off. MDH recommends that the City notify citizens about PFAS in the drinking water supply. Staff is working with TKDA to establish a PFAS communication plan for the City. Dan Nesler, TKDA Water/Wastewater Group Manager, stated that currently, there is no federal standard for PFAS; it will likely be established in a couple years. Instead, there is health-based guidance - not a requirement for particular action, but a strong recommendation. Some of the next steps will be to study short and long term options for addressing the issue. Chairman Speedling asked, is the plume growing and in which direction? Mr. Nesler replied it is not considered a plume; there is nothing in this area identified as the source. PFAS have been used in many household items for many years and are starting to percolate down into the groundwater in many communities. Commissioner Hutter asked if the health-based guidance is more conservative than the requirements expected to come from the EPA; and Mr. Nesler answered currently, the proposed federal EPA rule is less stringent that Minnesota’s health-based guidance. He reviewed roles and responsibilities of the various entities involved, the subcategories of PFAS, current health-based guidance, and the range of what has been seen in wells in Stillwater for the various subcategories. Matt Ellingson, TKDA engineer, reviewed the enforceable standard for the maximum containment level (MCL), adding that Stillwater is not there yet, but a couple years away. The limits might change as the federal rule moves through the process. There is a cumulative effect on health if several of the PFAS are present in excess, per studies done over the years on long term exposures and cancer risk. Mr. Nesler went on to explain that the purpose of the communication effort is to position the City as the preferred source of information regarding drinking water, to prevent misinformation, help Utilities Commission Meeting February 8, 2024 Page 2 of 2 community members understand the risks and have an active voice in managing that risk. He reviewed the key messages, including the fact that Well #6 would only be used for fire fighting at this point. There is grant funding available to lessen the communication burden on the City. The goal is to present information on the City web site late in February with monthly updates thereafter. Mr. Ellingson added that TKDA will assist with the technical information, put the web information together, provide graphics, and so on. Councilmember Polehna pointed out that citizens of other communities have received charcoal filtration systems in past years - who paid for them? Mr. Ellingson responded that will be a good talking point, to explain why citizens in some communities got systems while Stillwater residents do not. Woodbury and Lake Elmo were part of the 3M settlement which involved a traceable plume. PFAS are ubiquitous, they are everywhere so funding for individual filtration systems is not available at this point. If legislators hear from residents, it may have an impact. Also, there is a nationwide class action settlement between 3M and Dupont that is still going through the legal system, which may be another funding source. The communication plan will let residents know that the City and TKDA are working identifying potential funding. DIRECTOR/SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE Water Tower Update Mr. Ellingson provided an update on the painting of the water tower on Tower Drive this summer. The entire tower will be sandblasted and painted outside and inside. Bids will be sought in March; the timeframe is 12-16 weeks. The Stillwater logo will be incorporated at the direction of the City Council. Lead Service Survey Mr. Ellingson stated that the MN Dept of Health is requiring a City-wide inventory of every service line, and TKDA is assisting with this project and helping apply for grant funding. Utility Project Update Mr. Sanders provided a list of projects completed in 2023 and projects slated for 2024. Met Council I/I Grant Mr. Sanders said the City received a $59,000 grant for inflow and infiltration work. Monthly Gallons Pumped Mr. Sanders reported the monthly gallons pumped: 39,803 gallons. COMMISSIONER ITEMS There were no Commissioner items. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was no unfinished business. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Chairman Speedling, seconded by Commissioner Hutter, to adjourn. All in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 9:19 a.m. The next meeting date is March 14, 2024. Steve Speedling, Chair ATTEST: Shawn Sanders, Public Works Director City Council Water Update Shawn Sanders, Public Works Director/City Engineer April 2, 2024 Agenda 1.Roles and Responsibilities 2.Background Information 3.Review of Data 4.City Response and Timeline 5.Next Steps Stillwater City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 Roles and Responsibilities •City of Stillwater: Provides water services to residents and businesses within the community. •Minnesota Health Department (MDH): Responsible for ensuring safe drinking water and enforcement of the SDWA. MDH performs regular testing of community water systems. MDH has developed health-based guidance values to represent levels for several PFAS in drinking water. •Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA): Responsible for preventing, managing and the clean up of PFAS pollution. Grants in aid for PFAS mitigation in community water systems is overseen by MPCA. •Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Responsible for the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA sets national health-based standards to protect against naturally occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water. The SDWA defines a contaminant as anything other a molecule of water. City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 Background Information City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 According to MDH, PFAS (commonly referred to as Forever Chemicals) are a family of human-made chemicals that have been widely used for decades. PFAS are extremely stable and do not breakdown in the environment. PFAS have been found in the groundwater and surface water in Minnesota. Some PFAS can build up and stay in the human body for many years. According to MDH, consuming water with PFAS above the health-based guidance values, which are designed to protect the most vulnerable populations for a lifetime exposure, can increase risk of health effects. These increased health effects include: •Immune suppression such as decreased vaccination response •Lower birth weights •Increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer •Changes to liver function such as higher cholesterol and elevated liver enzymes •Thyroid disease and dysfunction Source: MDH Website PFAS and Health -MN Dept. of Health (state.mn.us)Retrieved on 4/2/2024 Background Information PFAS are emerging contaminants –meaning that there is a new awareness or understanding about how they affect public health. PFAS, like other emerging contaminants, are the focus of active research and study, which means that new information is released frequently. City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 Background Information MDH is testing for PFAS in community water systems across the state. A goal of MDH’s initiative is to evaluate whether Minnesotans are exposed to PFAS at levels above health-based guidance values in drinking water. The City of Stillwater owns and operates 8 wells. The City’s wells have been tested by MDH. While there are currently no enforceable federal or state standards for the acceptable amount of PFAS in drinking water, a Health Risk Advisory has been issued by MDH for PFAS at Well #6. City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 Background Information Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): Established by the US EPA and considers the health impact, cost and technology of prevention and/or treatment. Changes to MCLs are rarely made. All public water systems must meet MCLs. States are allowed to enforce lower (more strict) standards than MCLs, but are not allowed to enforce higher (less strict) MCLs. Health-Based Guidance Values (HBV): Established by MDH, an HBV is the level of a contaminant that can be present in water and pose little or no health risk to a person drinking that water. HBVs are guidance used to make decisions about managing the health risks of contaminants in groundwater and drinking water. HBVs are updated when significant new information is available. HBVs do not consider cost and technology of prevention and/or treatment and may be set at levels that are costly, challenging, or impossible for a water system to meet. Source: MDH Website Guidance Values and Standards for Contaminants in Drinking Water -MN Dept. of Health (state.mn.us)Retrieved 4/2/2024 City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 Year PFOA PFOS PFHxS PFHxA PFBA PFBS 2002 7000 1000 -------- 2006 1000 600 ----1000 -- 2007 500 300 ----7000 -- 2009 300 300 ----7000 7000 2013 300 300 300 --7000 7000 2016 70 70 70 --7000 7000 2017 35 27 27 --7000 2000 2022 35 15 47 200 7000 100 2024 0.0079 2.3 47 200 7000 100 Source: MDH Website retrieved on March 29, 2024 Review of Data MDH Health Based Guidance Values (HBV) in PPT Stillwater Wells Compared to MDH HBV and Proposed EPA MCL City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 2022 MDH HBV Proposed EPA MCL 2024 MDH HBV MDH PFAS Sampling Results for Stillwater PFOA 35 4.0 .0079 0 -4.3 PFOS 15 4.0 2.3 0 -15 PFBS 100 2000*100 0 –2.5 PFBA 7000 --7000 64 -130 PFHxS 47 9*47 0 –6.5 PFHxA 200 --200 0 –2.1 1.All data is in PPT 2.Data is from all 8 Stillwater Wells 3.Numbers in bold are above 2024 MDH HBV 4.*PFBS and PFHxS values are EPA HBVs Review of Data City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 MDH Health Based Guidance Values Compared to Stillwater Sampling Data 35 35 35 0.0079 27 15 15 2.3 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 2021 2022 2023 2024 Co n c e n t r a t i o n ( P P T ) Well 6 PFOA Well 6 PFOS Well 10 PFOA Well 10 PFOS Well 9 PFOA Well 9 PFOS PFOA HBV PFOS HBV PFOA HBV PFOS HBV City Response and Timeline •When the City learned of the test results for one of its wells in Spring 2023, it stopped using the well approximately six months before receiving the MDH Health Risk Advisory which was issued in October 2023, out of an abundance of caution. •The City also stopped using a second well in Spring 2023 in anticipation of the EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level. •In January 2024, MDH released updated, more stringent Health Based Values on PFAS, which resulted in a third well exceeding the Health Based Values. Again, out of an abundance of caution, the city has not used this well. City Council Water PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 2021 Stillwater Wells Tested All 8 of Stillwater’s Wells were tested for 6 different PFAS substances. All tests were below then current MDH HBVs. 2022 Stillwater Wells Tested Again More tests were performed on Stillwater’s wells All wells were below the then current MDH HBVs. 2023 March 14 EPA issues proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) values of 4.0 ppt for PFOS and PFOA. This is the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS. 2023 March Well No. 6 had a level of 15 ppt of PFOS. The MDH HBV for PFOS was 15 ppt. Second indication of well No. 6 as a HRI of 1.3 over the recommended 1.0. 2023 April Well No. 6 with 15 ppt PFOS and Well No. 10 with 4.2 ppt of PFOS were both shut off as they were over the Proposed MCL from EPA. City Council Water PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 City Response and Timeline 2023 October 31 MDH issues a Health Risk Advisory letter for PFAS for Well No. 6 after 4 quarters of testing. 2023 December Well No. 9 was inactive. The PFOA levels was 3.2 ppt. 2024 January MDH issued lower HBV values of: •PFOA 0.0079 ppt •PFOS 2.3 ppt . 2024 January Stillwater initiated communication activities about PFAS and began researching funding sources. 2024 April City Council Update City Council Water PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 City Response and Timeline In addition to mitigating potential risk by not using three wells, other actions that the City has taken: •Established a page on the City’s website and prepared a city newsletter article as an initial response. •Established on-going communications with MDH. •Seeking a grant from the League of Minnesota Cities for the purposes of navigating state and federal grant programs to assist with options and future projects. •Initiated a study to identify alternatives to mitigate the PFAS contaminant in the city water system. City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 City Response and Timeline Next Steps 1.Monitor and continue to stay in communication with MDH 2.Continue to communicate through city newsletter, city council updates, social media postings, utility billing flyers, and discussions with customers. 3.Complete the options analysis and select an option to advance. 4.Seek funding from the MPCA, MDH, Public Facilities Authority, state bond program and other possible sources. City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 Stay Informed and Engaged •Stay informed through the City’s website and discuss concerns with City officials. As an emerging contaminate, scientific information continues to become available. •Be knowledgeable about other sources of PFAS and consider reducing the use of these products which contain PFAS. See information on the MDH website: PFAS and Health - MN Dept. of Health (state.mn.us) •Property owners can consider installing and maintaining filtration devices in homes, businesses, or facilities. See additional information here: PFAS and Home Treatment of Water -MN Dept. of Health (state.mn.us) City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 For More Information The City of Stillwater is committed to providing safe drinking water. The City will continue to work with MDH on this issue and will inform the public as new data becomes available which warrant a different course of action. Visit website: www.stillwatermn.gov/waterupdates. Sign up on the website for drinking water updates. Contact City Staff: waterupdates@stillwatermn.gov or 651.430-8830 City Council PFAS Update |APRIL 2, 2024 Million Gallons Pumped 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Monthly Totals Monthly Totals Monthly Totals Monthly Totals Monthly Totals Monthly Totals Monthly Totals Monthly Totals January 47827 54174 47578 43126 44488 43203 40179 39803 February 42360 50969 42335 41409 39016 39417 37754 36509 March 43799 55676 47276 43148 41908 41176 39817 34392 April 45235 52580 45808 44003 41587 41248 40316 May 56415 77250 57949 61400 66124 55346 66143 June 84085 77502 78308 74342 112800 91793 120461 July 93342 89533 78536 81984 110149 111197 101462 August 75439 99896 78626 87645 93628 89626 99966 September 74893 67085 61054 71455 64168 87366 86614 October 49115 48481 50054 52576 49781 59028 46495 November 41620 43112 43786 41754 40311 37840 38504 December 52404 46710 44426 42857 41322 40569 39214 Total 706534 762968 675736 685699 745282 737809 756925 110704 Jan - Mar 133986 16089 137189 127683 125412 123796 117750 DNR Permited Amount 865,000,000 MGY 216 4th Street North, Stillwater Minnesota – 651‐430‐8800 – www.stillwatermn.gov ATTENTION All City of Stillwater Boards and Commission members are requested to attend a training on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 6 PM at City Hall Council Chambers Presenter: Kori Land, City Attorney Per City Council, attendance is required for those who did not attend the training last year DETAILS: Time: 6 PM – 7 PM 7 PM – 9 PM Attendees: All Boards & Commissions Heritage Preservation Commission & Planning Commission Topics: Conduct of Meetings Municipal Planning/Zoning Open Meeting Law Conflicts of Interest Public Hearings Data Practices Act/Social Media RSVP to Nancy Manos at nmanos@stillwatermn.gov or 651‐430‐8803.