03-14-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Keis and Members of City Council FROM: Bill Dircks, Public Works Director DATE: March 9, 2018 RE: Daytime Sprinkling Ban and Water Conservation Tactics In August 2017 Ramsey County District Court ruled that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been violating state law to the detriment of White Bear Lake. The judge said that the DNR was mismanaging the well pumping permits in the area and laid out conditions that the DNR must meet to comply with the ruling. No new pumping permits can be issued within five miles of White Bear Lake and no existing permits can be increased until a full review of all existing permits is completed to determine the sustainability of the existing current pumping levels and whether or not permits need to be downsized. In addition, if the level of White Bear Lake falls below 923.5 feet a total residential watering ban will be put into effect within five miles of White Bear Lake. On March 8, 2018 the level of White Bear Lake was 922.99 feet. A residential watering ban would mean no watering at any time for all residential properties until the lake level climbs back above 923.5 feet. The DNR must also put together a plan to lower water use in the area within the next year. The lower limit would amount to an average residential usage of 75 gallons per day. The City of Little Canada does not use wells for its drinking water but does purchase finished drinking water from St. Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS). SPRWS has wells within five miles of White Bear Lake so they are included in the court order. That could mean that a full residential watering ban would affect Little Canada residents as well as the DNR plan to reduce water usage in the area. However, SPRWS has appealed to the DNR to be excluded from the watering ban since they have not used the wells in over two years and have no plans to use them in the summer going forward. The wells serve as emergency backup in the event of an emergency in the summer. In the winter they sometimes run them in order to mix the warmer water with the much colder surface water normally used. If the DNR agrees that SPRWS should be exempt from the watering ban then Little Canada will also be exempt. A decision had not been made at the time this was written. Staff believes that the City should start a daytime watering ban whether it is exempt or not from the DNR ban. Many cities have implemented a watering ban during the day to limit the loss of water through evaporation in the sun. The University of Minnesota Extension program states that “the most efficient time to water lawns is probably in the early morning hours from 4 to 8 a.m. Less water is lost