Minnesota water district forming; it's something the state could see more of in the future
May 25—GRAND FORKS — As infrastructure ages and contaminants are increasingly found in private wells, Polk, Norman and Clay counties are banding together to create a water district that residents hope will provide a sustainable supply of safe drinking water in the future.
It's a trend that likely will continue in Minnesota, says an attorney who represents the West Central Regional Water District. The three counties are in the midst of a legal process to form the district.
Daniel Marx said he's seen firsthand the trend of small communities struggling with water infrastructure.
"In my work across the state, I see increasing problems with smaller communities, especially being able to maintain and upgrade and operate that infrastructure," he said. "I think that we will see over the next, you know, five, 10, 50 years, an increasing push for regional projects like this."
It's a process that hasn't happened since the 1970s, he said, adding that he believes Minnesota statute related to creating a district is arcane and not the most efficient method for doing so. The method is a district court process, beginning with creating the district as a sort of "start-up" body, Marx said, informally established through resolution.
Then, the court process is initiated, and a judge appoints an engineer to do a preliminary engineering feasibility study. Once the engineer completes the study, it is submitted back to the court, where a public hearing administered by the Clay County District Court will take place. The court will then take public feedback and integrate it into the report, then issue a more detailed engineering and economic analysis, followed by another public hearing. Hopefully, he said, the court will then order an authorization of the project.
Clay County District Court has appointed an engineer and ordered a preliminary survey. While this is happening, Norman, Clay and Polk counties' steering committees, made up of county commissioners, local officials and staff, will form a formal board or commission and create the administrative structure around the district, Marx said.
The project was initially proposed following the discovery of water quality issues in the three counties
. Private wells were sampled throughout the region and were found to contain more than the maximum contaminant level of 10 micrograms of arsenic per liter. The percentage of these private wells with an overabundance of arsenic were 43% in Norman County, 39% in Clay County and 21% in Polk County. Long-term exposure to arsenic increases risks of nervous system issues, high blood pressure and cancer, the WCRWD said in a past presentation. Iron, manganese and nitrates were also found.
Aside from contaminants, other issues include an aging infrastructure, a lack of licensed operators and high capital costs.
The project has received some funding, such as $3.5 million in federal funding, due in part to the efforts of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota.
"It's expensive, but I also know how important it is," she said during a meeting earlier this year in Halstad. "You're really doing it for future generations."
The Minnesota Senate was going to pass a cash bonding bill that contained more than $4 million for the project, but adjourned without passing it, Marx said.
"That money is really necessary for the bigger-cost items related to the project, but we're still in that earlier phase where it would have been nice to have that money in hand now. We have some other bites at the apple to try to get some more state and federal money," he said. "So, it's not a huge setback."
