Agenda - Public Works Committee - 09/17/2019

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5.0Issues, Problems, and Opportunities In accordance with Minnesota Rules chapter 4720.5230, this section discusses issues, problems, and opportunities related to land use, comments from local units of government and the general public, the data elements and local, state, and federal programs and regulations. Land Use Issues, Problems, and Opportunities 5.1 Source Water Aquifers 5.1.1 As shown on Figure 1, the aquifer vulnerability classification in the Ramsey DWSMAs is Moderate. Approximately 98% of the area in the Southwest DWSMA has an aquifer vulnerability classification of Moderate. The aquifer vulnerability is classified as Low in 100% of the West, Well 8, and Well 14 DWSMAs. The aquifer vulnerability is classified as moderate in 100% of the Northwest and East DWSMAs. The City currently has eight water supply wells (Table 1). Seven of the wells (Wells 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8) are primary water supply wells and one (Well 2) is used seasonally during periods of high demand. The City anticipates the addition of two new wells to the water supply system by 2030. The addition of new high capacity wells within or near the DWSMAs (either municipal wells or private wells) could produce changes in the groundwater flow system (e.g., flow direction or static water level) which could result in changes to the shape and extent of the WHPAs and DWSMAs delineated for this WHPP. The City will work with the Wellhead Protection Consultant and MDH to amend this WHPP as necessary when additional high capacity wells are installed within or near the DWSMAs. As discussed elsewhere in this Plan amendment, potential sources of contamination that could affect the source water aquifer were identified during the PCSI. These potential contaminant sources include wells, potential Class V well locations, storage tanks, chemical storage locations, spill locations, and brownfield sites classified as potential contaminant source properties (see Appendix C). Table 3 indicates there is one well completed in the source water aquifer within the IWMZ around one of the Citywater supply wells. This well is at Ramsey Fire Station No. 2. Since the City maintains control over this well manages it appropriately the risk to the nearby water supply well associated with the fire station well is classified as moderate. No other potential contaminant source entities were identified in the IWMZs during the PCIS work. A small number of the identified potential contaminant source locations fall in the Emergency Response Zones (ERZs) around the municipal wells (Table 3). The entities in the various potential contaminant source categories are regulated and tracked by State or Federal programs. The lack of City jurisdiction over the potential contaminant source entities poses a potential problem for protection of the source water aquifer. However, the jurisdictional issues also provide the City of Ramsey with an opportunity to develop working relationships with State agencies that regulate and track the potential contaminant source entities. Therefore, the City will work with the appropriate State programs, to the extent practicable, to address the potential contaminant sources within the DWSMAs. 15 15