Posted: 2/26/04
By MaryHelen Swanson
When a child goes to get a glass of water from the tap in his home in Rush City, city officials want to be sure that water is safe for drinking - for now and in the future.
Monday night, Feb. 23, the council heard from Robyn Hoerr, a representative from Minnesota Rural Water Association, who has been hired to help Rush City put together a plan to protect the cityís drinking water.
Protection of water supplies is legislated by the 1989 Minnesota Groundwater Protection Act, and a rule set in place in November 1997 that the state have a wellhead protection program.
Wellhead protection, as it is called, is a means of protecting public water supply wells by preventing contaminants from entering the area that contributes water to the well or well field over a period of time.
A plan for wellhead protection in Rush City is expected to take about a year to prepare. Aimee Mell, city zoning employee, will work with Hoerr and a committee to do the research needed to find potential contaminants to the cityís water supply.
The plan will include a system to manage existing and future land and water uses that pose threats to groundwater quality.
It has been determined, Hoerr said, that it is cheaper to manage the drinking water supply area than to mitigate problems.
In preparing the wellhead protection plan, the committee will look at such things as individual wells, underground and above ground storage tanks and any possible spill sites within an area designated as the Drinking Water Supply Management Area (SWSMA). This area encompasses a great deal of the city from the eastern edge of the industrial park to I-35.
Outcomes of the planning process could include resource information for city residents on taking care of tanks or sealing wells.
In addition, long-term benefits of having a plan will:
ï reduce the use of costly treatment facilities;
ï avoid the drilling of new well; and,
ï avoid the need to clean up contaminated groundwater.
When the plan is complete, there will be a public hearing before the council adopts the final document. The plan needs to be sent to the Minnesota Department of Health by April 2005.
Mary Darragh Schmitz, who serves on the county water plan committee, was at the meeting and told the council that Chisago County will provide $2,500 to Rush City for help in preparing this plan.
In other business, the council:
ï held a second public hearing on annexation of property owned by Larry Graton, which was needed because of a filing deadline issue. One neighbor on hand for the hearing said the city is allowing too much development and that the increased population will put too much pressure on the area, particularly the wild areas near the St. Croix River. He asked the council to slow down development. Council discussed the fact that development in areas south of town would require sewer and water system improvements;
ï hired Harry Bell as part-time custodian at the liquor store;
ï set 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 20 as the date for the annual Board of Review. City residents not satisfied with their property valuation can come and register a complaint at this time; and
ï approved bills in the amount of $36,899.87, $18,519 of it being the monthly payment for police services through the Chisago County Sheriffís Department.
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