07-06-2020 Council Work Session Packet

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WS – Item 2 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item No. 2 Date: July 6, 2020 To: City Council From: Rick DeGardner, Public Services Director Re: Watering Restrictions Update Background The Public Services Department continues its effort to keep the level of manganese in the water supply low by only running wells that produce water with the lowest manganese levels. Warmer outdoor temperatures are increasing demand for water, primarily to water lawns. Consequently, other wells producing water with higher levels of manganese have been needed to meet the higher water demands between 6:00am-10:00am. During the June City Council work session, staff presented three options for consideration in our efforts to reduce water demand over the next several months. The City Council concurred with staff to expand the daily watering ban to 6:00am - 6:00pm. The rationale for this is because the highest volume demand for water occurs in the early morning hours. This results in the need to turn on additional (higher manganese levels producing) wells. Reducing the daily peak water demand should minimize the frequency/duration of operating higher manganese producing wells. The MDH recommended health guidelines for manganese are as follows: 1) If you have an infant who drinks tap water or drinks formula made with tap water, a safe level of manganese in your water is 100 parts per billion (ppb) or less. 2) If you have an infant who never drinks tap water or formula made with tap water, a safe level of manganese in your water is 300 ppb or less. 3) If everyone is more than one year old, a safe level of manganese in your water is 300 ppb or less. Regular monitoring during June shows a slight increase in the average ppb. MONTH # READINGS AVERAGE -PPB HIGH- PPB LOW-PPB June, 2020 22 148 250 65 May, 2020 20 128 196 78 April, 2020 22 101 154 56 March, 2020 22 96 160 67