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Summer 2019 City Hall - 3800 Laver ne Avenue Nor th - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-3900 City Drinking Water Update City Hall - 3800 Laver ne Avenue Nor th - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-39003880 Laverne Avenue North Suite 100 - Lake Elmo, MN 55042 (651) 747-3900 Lots has been happening over the last few months related to the City’s water system. After shutting down a well due to per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination in 2018, the City received news in February that they would receive about $2 million from the State of Minnesota 3M Settlement Grant Funds for a new well and the sealing of the contaminated well. The City has begun the preliminary surveying work in Tana Ridge Park to identify a location for the new well and pump house. In addition, the project will include watermain looping along 50th St between Lily Ave and Lake Elmo Ave. The Tana Ridge Park location was selected based upon it being outside of the 5 mile radius impacted by the White Bear Lake lawsuit, outside of the plume areas related to PFAS and TCE and because it was property owned by the city. The test well is expected to be completed by the end of this summer and if all goes well the water system improvements will be online by the end of summer 2020. According to a 2018 water efficiency study commissioned by the Washington County Municipal Water Coalition, Lake Elmo uses five times more water in the summer than in the winter months. Most of the increase is due to irrigation. As a result, the city approved a pilot project in the Fields of St. Croix II to install smart controllers on irrigation systems. The impact will be reviewed, measured and reported to the City by a Master Water Steward. In addition, the City has been approving new developments with the condition that they inform builders and homeowners that an emergency watering ban may be put in place in order to ensure adequate fire protection is available in the city’s water system. This could result in them not being able to water new sod. City staff is closely monitoring our water system and an emergency ban will largely depend upon the amount of precipitation we receive this summer as well as usage patterns. Remember to follow our odd/even watering restrictions in City code, and that all watering is prohibited between the hours of 10:00AM and 5:00PM. . ...Article continues on