6.1.E. ERMUSR 12-13-2016 Elk River
Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO: FROM:
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Eric Volk - Water Superintendent
John Dietz—Chair
Al Nadeau—Vice Chair
Daryl Thompson—Trustee
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
December 13, 2016 6.1e
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
DISCUSSION:
• Delivered eight new water meters.
• Sealed the water meter, and took curb stop ties from seven water services.
• Went on seven service calls.
• Completed 25 BACTI/Total Chlorine Residual Samples
o All confirmed negative for Coliform Bacteria.
• Completed 20 routine fluoride samples
o All samples met MDH standards.
• Completed One MDH Fluoride Validation Sample
• The expansion at WTP #7 is coming along smoothly. The interior piping is roughly 75%
complete, the new chemical feed systems are being installed, the HVAC system is in, and
the electrician is in working on the wiring. The contractor is hoping to start putting media
into the new filter the week before Christmas. The plan is to start running water through
the new filter by February 1. Attached is a picture of the new filter and valves.
• The Robyn Hoerr from the Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) wrote an article
for their publication MRWA Today. The article discusses our use of the Source Water
Protection Grants to seal an unused flowing well for the Parks Department that was
located behind the old cinema building. We have also been awarded another Source
Water Protection Grant to seal an unused flowing well at the Houlton Property. In total,
these grants will save the Parks Department over $12,000. Attached is the MRWA article.
• The Water and Mapping Department received iWater training during the first week of
December. The new iWater software will allow us to track and create a maintenance
history for our entire water distribution system. Previously everything was completed on
paper and entered into excel.
• With the help of the Wastewater Department we potholed in six different locations along
Hwy 10 to determine the depth of the 16"water main. It has been decided by the
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)that we will have to move 900' of 6"
water main along Hwy 10 to facilitate their need for additional storm water treatment due
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to adding impervious surface. In 2018 we will also be lining roughly 400' of 16"water
main along Hwy 10.
• Jolene Fenn-Jansen has completed the flyer for our new 2017 water conservation rebates.
ERMU is now a WaterSense Partner. Being a WaterSense Partner will allow us to have
better resources pertaining to water efficient household items. Attached is the new 2017
rebate form.
• The water operators are continuing to prep WTP #4 for blasting and painting. The
operators have also been assisting the contractor at WTP #7 with shut-downs and setting
up the new system. In the coming months, the operators will be conducting a commercial
meter audit to ensure that everyone is being billed accordingly.
ATTACHMENTS:
• November 2016 Pumping by Well
• November 2016 Accumulated Precipitation Graph
• November 2016 Daily Temperature Graph
• Picture - WTP #7 Expansion New Filter and Valves
• MRWA Today Article—City of Elk River Seals Well
• 2017 Water Rebate Form
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Robyn Hoerr, MRWA Groundwater Specialist
limo City of Elk River Goes With the Flow and Seals a Flowing Artesian Well
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Photo above:Eric Volk, Elk River Municipal Utilities Supervisor(on right) with E.H. Renner& Sons staff.
Elk River Municipal Utilities(ERMU)recently made their drinking water supply less likely to become contaminated by seal-
ing an old well.Not just any type of well—a flowing artesian well!
The older six-inch well was located in the city of Elk River downtown area behind what was once used as the cinema build-
ing. In the distant past the well served to pump water that was circulated for building air conditioning. The well records on
hand indicated that the well was drilled in 1921 to the depth of
"Not just any type of well - 210 feet. The well was cased to 105 feet, and the submersible
pump was located approximately 20 feet deep in the casing.
a flowing artesian well!"
The well was located
within municipal well emergency response zone. Wells that are unused and unsealed
that are not properly maintained can serve as a direct conduit for contaminants to reach
deeper aquifers used for drinking water.When asked why he invested time and effort to • -
seal this well, Eric Volk, ERMU Water Superintendent, indicated, "I felt it was impor-
tant to seal the old cinema well because it was an unused flowing well located within 41.1#_ t�
the Emergency Response Zone(ERA),or 1 year time of travel,for Primary Well#2 and .k.
proposed a contamination risk to the public water supply. "This was not just a mundane -
well sealing operation,however,since the process of sealing a flowing artesian well can • .-. "
be extremely tricky.
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In the case of flowing artesian wells, downward pressure on the aquifer from geologic ',•," + f///
confininglayers forces the water in the casingto levels that are aboveground and con- a' " +".,
Y %*V A .
tinue to flow. If the sealing is not done properly and the flow of water gets out of con- '' "' ' ,'`, ,
trol, it can be very difficult to regain the upper hand from Mother Nature. Information - .
posted on the Minnesota Department of Health(MDH)website provides a helpful visu- Photo above:Flowing artesian well.
24 MRWA TODAY • Fall 2016 116
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Photo above left:Arnie Cox, E.H. Renner& Sons (on right), working to reroute water flow. Photo above second from left:Pat
Sarafolean, MDH Well Management(on left), and E.H. Renner& Sons staff preparing for video log of well. Photo above second from
right: Well casing extended to stop water from flowing—the sealing material added into the top of the pipe. Photo at right:Finished
product—no well in sight!
al of what occurs in an artesian well situation (See Figure Static water!nye]
Recharge Area For
1 at right, Source Minnesota Department of Health Confined Aquifer
Water Table Well Pama
cntiork Surface Artesian Nell`
Website). If you would like more information on flowing (Water Pressure Loci) \\'l
of Confined Ayaifer
wells, go to http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/ Fbwing Allcsian
flowing/index.html. _ -
- — — ; —
Ind
The knowledgeable and experienced well contracting staff o `Ir`"" - 1 '�
,�!.P.''':',,,oN.. I,JkoNm..d Iqui0.r — ,(-
from E.H.Renner&Sons led by Arnie Cox,a 30-year vet o o or,. _',-/-.11.2/z_
eran with the company,knew just what kind of strategy to , t i ' \'_-z,` `=
enact to seal the flowing well. In order to maintain control -> • ` a-,_%, `
of the water flowing from the well,the Renner team began -- — �( \,,, ,.+,,,,,,, „ '<,.',-,--,1-- `-'`I%y"-i-
by extending the casing to a height beyond the static level. --- , -,.-71�:i_/;'\_I:,1-\---„— la,
The flowing water from the well was temporarily routed 1 ;- '• �,-,,,, ,.,'�'.-, `�
1 Q Brock(non•poreous) N/, i I—� 1 /.../.1"11
.—/ \_ �( I.ow.r CnnIi mq l Per j --i,i\— (/.i\—z____\-.7 down the hill and into the Mississippi River, and after the I --;/--_1 I-I _\�� `,_\\ I:---2-7'�_ 1/--,`,,i-7,-; \,,,� s„. _--
casing
casing was extended a valve was simply closed to stop the 4:1=,-/,--/:;'1;I,•; ls�_'''` 1=r.•;_1.,,`',.'-'/•''''-',..','::•'"/ ;\
water flow via this route.
I igure 1. Penns Relating To Flowing Artesian Wells
The Elk River old cinema well sealing was also an oppor-
tunity for interested agencies to gather additional data Graphic above:MDH Website figure showing artesian and flowing
about the well itself and the local geology. A video log artesian well conditions. Source:Minnesota Department of Health.
performed by MDH staff verified well construction infor-
mation and investigated the condition of the casing and bottom of the well.A gamma log was also performed by the USGS to obtain
useful information relating to the geologic layers in the bore hole below the casing. This information can be used to update regional
geologic information, as well as refine the boundary of the
Elk River wellhead protection area during future plan , `
Y. ~a
amendments.
In addition to reducing the risk of contamination to the city's !
1t '
drinking water, ERMU was able to apply for and use MDH '
u
� � r -
Source Water Protection Unit Implementation Grant funds to t _, •
get the work done! Of the grant process, ERMU Water m y.- T' _ s r ,w
Superintendent Volk stated, "The SWP Implementation I }1,,i>,R. ' ”
Grant was of great help sealing the well because the Elk '.
River Parks Department inherited the well in a land transac-
tion and inherited a problem they were not prepared to deal ', r.. ,
with financially.The SWP Grant was very easy to apply for, 1":J
fuland�'the Keeprup thH e grearce tVwork,ERMUater n staff were very help- ''/1 �' \ of i- � •
" ^
. . Y . a> 4w;. Vis.,
Photo above: E.H. Renner& Sons equipment set up for sealing.
117 Fall 2016• MRWA TODAY 2l