Report: Minnesota Water Generally Drinkable

Health department releases annual report of drinking water in Minnesota; Few problems detected in state’s community water supply systems

May 29, 2008 -- The vast majority of Minnesota’s 965 community water supply systems provided safe drinking water to their users each day throughout 2007 with few problems of contamination, according to a report by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Water droplet: Photo by gehat (CC)

The results of monitoring tests for calendar year 2007 are summarized in the newly released edition of the department’s report on the state of Minnesota’s drinking water. Those results once again revealed little evidence of contamination problems in the state’s public water supply systems. MDH has published the report annually since 1995.

Minnesota’s public water supply systems are tested on a regular basis for bacteria, nitrate and other inorganic chemicals, radiological elements, and more than 100 different industrial chemicals and pesticides. The drinking water annual report is based on the results of monitoring for the past year under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

The report includes test results for 726 city water systems throughout the state. Also included were 239 non-municipal systems that provide drinking water to people in their place of residence—in locations such as manufactured home parks, apartment buildings, housing subdivisions, colleges, hospitals, prisons, and child care facilities.

As an example of the type of findings in the report: Only one of the 965 systems exceeded current federal or state standards for pesticides or industrial contaminants. Water samples from those systems were subjected to nearly 22,000 separate tests for up to 118 different potential contaminants. The city, Bayport, remedied the problem with a new water treatment plant and is now back in compliance.

Among the other findings in the report:

* Detectable levels of coliform bacteria were found in 20 community water systems, including 17 municipal systems. While not all coliform bacteria cause illness, they provide an indicator of possible contamination in the system. Systems with coliform problems are routinely disinfected, flushed, and retested to ensure that the contamination is gone before being returned to normal service. The process typically takes less than a week. All but five of the affected systems served fewer than 1,000 people. The municipal systems that tested positive for bacterial contamination were Center City, Cleveland, DeGraff, Dumont, Easton, Edgerton, Foley, Floodwood, Halstad, Hendrum, Lake City, Marble, Park Rapids, South Haven, Taconite, Taylors Falls, and Winton.

* By the end of 2007, the number of community water systems that exceeded a new federal standard for arsenic had been reduced to 11. The affected systems are Buffalo Lake, Dalton, Darwin, Dilworth, Dumont, Elizabeth, Kerkhoven, Lake Lillian, McIntosh, Norcross, and Stewart. A revision to the federal Arsenic Rule, which was finalized in January 2001, lowered the limit to 10 ppb. The new standard took effect in 2006. Previous testing indicated that approximately 40 community water systems in Minnesota had arsenic levels that would exceed the revised standard. Working with MDH, these water systems studied alternatives, and more than 20 of these systems reduced their levels to under 10 ppb prior to the new standard taking effect. They did this by adding treatment processes, replacing existing wells, or connecting to other water supplies. Since 2006, approximately 10 more systems have come into compliance. Staff from those systems remaining in exceedance are working with MDH to come into compliance and are also communicating regularly with their residents about the situation.

* Thirteen community water systems—including 10 municipal systems—exceeded the standard for radium 226 and 228 at the end of 2007. The affected municipal systems are Anoka, Brook Park, East Bethel, Elko New Market, Goodview, Isanti, LaCrescent, Medford, St. Francis, and Webster. No restrictions were placed on water consumption although residents were notified of the situation. Residents were told that this was not an emergency situation and were advised to consult with their doctors for any special concerns. Each of these systems has either started to make infrastructure changes or is studying alternatives to meet the maximum contaminant level.

Water systems that exceed the standards for a contaminant take corrective actions to remedy the problem; the actions include notifying residents regarding the situation.

In addition to checking for contaminants regulated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, MDH performs sampling of water for other substances that may be of concern. Emerging contaminants, those not yet regulated by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, have been receiving ongoing attention. The report includes a discussion of activities related to two types of emerging contaminants of concern in Minnesota: perfluorochemicals (PFCs) and pharmaceutical compounds and personal care products.

The 2007 report and those from previous years are available online at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/com/dwar/report07.html.

Source: Minnesota Department of Health

Bookmark/Search this post with:

 •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •