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Harris being proactive in water quality complianceBy Danielle Strenke The federal government introduced radium guidelines to insure safe drinking water in 2000 with a maximum contaminant level for combined radium of 5 picocurries per liter (pCi/L). At the state level, the Minnesota Dept. of Health will test and issue warnings to municipalities with drinking water exceeding this maximum level. Chris Larson of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik & Associates, the city's engineering firm, said municipalities are required to test drinking water for radium every three years. During testing, if there is a questionable result, the city water is then tested for four consecutive quarters. The four tests are compared to come up with average radium levels. The four quarterly results in Harris resulted in two with radium levels lower than the allowed level and two with slightly elevated levels at about 9 pCi\L. The water is currently tested from the collection of distribution samples; water is collected at various random points along the system. Beginning in 2007, the water samples will be taken at the point of entry, which means at Harris well #2. "This is to ensure the same level of protection for everyone on the system," Larson said. Because of these changes, Harris has been advised that radium levels could exceed the federal maximum contaminant level in 2007. City engineer Chuck Schwartz said the facility, which would be slightly larger than the size of an average two-car garage, would be located near well #2. "The city would like to secure funding and construct the treatment plant in 2003," he said. Harris will incur roughly $470,000 in debt as a result of building the facility, Schwartz said. "How they recapture those The treatment plant will remove radium, iron, manganese and other contaminants from Harris city water. The affects of radium in drinking water are controversial. It has been found to contain cancer-causing agents, although some people argue the standard amount established by the federal government is too low, Larson said. "The risk from that amount is very low. There is less than a one-in-ten thousand chance of it causing cancer in a person who drinks two liters of the water every day for 70 years at that level [5 pCi/L]," he said. Larson said Harris is not alone in this scenario. Bonestroo has several other client cities facing the same problem of elevated levels of radium in drinking water. At the June 17 meeting, the Harris City Council authorized Schwartz to proceed with applying for grants on the project and completing a preliminary engineering report. Councilman Lyle Holmstrom agreed that if the project was mandated by the state, it would only make sense to look for grant money. ìIf we can get 20, 30, 40 percent paid for weíre better off than we were before,î he said. ©ECM Post Review |