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1 <br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT DATE: 5/9/23 <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> <br /> <br />TO: City Council Workshop <br />FROM: Marty Powers, Director of Public Works <br />REVIEWED BY: Kristina Handt, City Administrator <br />AGENDA ITEM: Well #2 <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The City of Lake Elmo currently has three wells on line that may be used year around. Well 2, 4 & 5 <br />typically alternate in the off season, providing potable water and fire protection. All three city wells are in <br />compliance with the current federal safe drinking water act requirements. <br /> <br />With the proposed future change in the PFAS maximum containment level (MCL), well #2 will likely be <br />impacted based on recent sampling results. The predicted MCL for PFAS is expected to be 4 parts per <br />trillion. Well #2’s sample results are currently between 9 and 10 parts per trillion. <br /> <br /> <br />ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: <br />How does the council wish to proceed with using well #2 in the interim until new MCLs are adopted or <br />MDH issues a health advisory? Should the city use well #2 as an emergency well only and change the <br />irrigation restrictions so wells 4 & 5 can meet demands? Does Council wish to continue meeting current <br />irrigation demands and blend the water from well #2 only in the summer months if allowed by MDH? <br /> <br /> <br />ANALYSIS: <br />During the past irrigation seasons, all three wells are ran at max capacity at the same time to keep up with <br />early morning irrigation demands, provide potable drinking water and fire protection. Since the <br />announcement of the potential change in the PFAS MCL earlier this year, well #2 has been taken out of the <br />pumping rotation and is sitting idle as wells 4 & 5 are fully capable of meeting fall, winter and spring <br />demands. <br /> <br />MDH indicated a weighted average could be used if well #2 was blended with wells 4 and 5. A pumping <br />restriction from well #2 would be set by MDH to not exceed an established number of gallons per year. <br /> <br />If council wishes to keep well #2 offline, staff would recommend we look at a policy to limit properties to 2 <br />days a week of lawn watering/irrigation and shortening the allowed length of watering new sod daily from <br />30 days to 15. Similar changes have been implemented by our neighbors. <br /> <br />OPTIONS: <br />If council would like to see the use of well #2 adjusted or the irrigation restrictions adjusted, please provide <br />staff with direction on what changes are preferred so staff can bring the changes back to a council meeting <br />for approval <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />