Agenda - Council - 03/10/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Metropolitan Council has roles and responsibilities that provide a unique regional perspective for planning and management, all aimed at protecting our region's valuable water resources. Through its world-class wastewater treatment system and surface water management and planning activities, the Council works to ensure there is adequate water quality to support economic development, the tourism industry, drinking water needs, and the quality of life for all residents of the region. The Council provides wastewater services to municipal and industrial customers in the region at highly competitive rates, fostering a favorable economic environment for growth and development. In addition, the Council promotes sustainable water resources through its planning and technical assistance for surface water and water supply. Wastewater Collection and Treatment. The Metropolitan Council owns and operates the regional wastewater collection and treatment system for the urbanized portion of the metro area (over 90% of the metropolitan area population). The Council operates and maintains approximately 610 miles of regional sewers that collect flows from over 5,000 miles of sewers owned by 108 communities and treats approximately 250 million gallons of wastewater daily at eight regional treatment plants. Water Quality Management Plans and Programs. The Council is designated as the areawide water quality planning agency under Section 208 of the federal Clean Water Act. As part of this designation, the Council is responsible for ensuring that water quality management policies and programs are implemented in the metro area for point- and nonpoint-source pollution. As part of its responsibilities, the Council monitors and assesses the condition of area lakes, rivers and streams, provides technical assistance related to surface water management, and reviews local water management plans, watershed plans and local sanitary sewer plans to make sure they are consistent with Council policies and regional goals. Regional Water Supply Plan. The Twin Cities metro area Master Water Supply Plan, adopted by the Council in 2010, serves as the framework for achieving a sustainable water supply that meets the needs of current and future generations. Responding to state legislation (Minn. Stat. 473.1565) and prepared in cooperation with a wide range of partner organizations, the Master Water Supply Plan lays an essential foundation of data, analysis and alternatives to establish a regional consensus and plan for action. The Council is currently updating the Master Water Supply Plan with the assistance of the Metropolitan Area Water Supply Advisory Committee, a 16 -member group that includes local officials from within and outside the metro area and representatives of state agencies. The overall theme of this Policy Plan is to move the Council further toward integrating our roles in wastewater, water supply, and surface water planning, management and operation. The conventional approach considers one dimension of water at a time, but the usefulness of this approach has reached its limit. Meeting the challenges of water supply, water quality issues, and environmental stewardship needs strategies that look at the whole water picture and consider how efforts in one area could benefit the others. For example, an integrated approach would move beyond treating wastewater only to meet regulatory compliance, to viewing wastewater as a resource that could be available for reuse and reduce demand on groundwater. For the Council, it also means leading by example and working across Council divisions to promote water sustainability. The Council will work with partners to identify emerging issues and challenges for the region as we work together on solutions in order to promote a more 2