Agenda - Council - 05/26/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Key findings: challenges, opportunities and changing conditions With partners, the Council's water supply collaboration and technical investigations have highlighted challenges in several areas, summarized below. For more information, refer to the Master Plan and technical studies included in the bibliography. Socio-economic conditions By 2040, the region is projected to grow by 500,000 people; 200,000 households; and 200,000 jobs compared to 2010. Understanding changing water supply needs and securing a sustainable supply of plentiful, clean water for these growing communities is the primary goal of the Council's water supply planning work. Funding and finance High -quality drinking water, wastewater treatment, and stormwater systems are a critical, and costly, component of community planning. Costs include planning and design, capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, and costs to monitor and report compliance with regulatory requirements. Public water suppliers, wastewater utilities, community planners, and elected officials stress the need for financial support for infrastructure changes to achieve sustainable solutions. Examples of challenges: • Balancing short- versus long-term needs and costs when planning to rebuild or build new infrastructure • Equitably balancing utility revenue versus affordability, particularly if decreased water demand impacts revenue while water supply system maintenance costs go up • Addressing the need for more intense monitoring and treatment in water supply systems with mixed water sources • Lacking reliable and adequate funding sources for implementing many stormwater reuse opportunities Figure 6. Based on information submitted to the Council in local comprehensive plan updates, by 2040 more than 50 communities plan to drill new municipal wells (left), more than 60 communities plan to improve and/or expand their distribution systems (middle), and more than 35 communities plan to enhance their water supply treatment processes (right). Note: Not all local plan updates have been submitted to the Council as of August 31, 2020 and this information will be revised as plans are received. Water quality Contamination issues vary throughout the region, primarily driven by differences in hydrogeologic setting and in level of development. The most cost-effective way to address contamination is usually to prevent it through protection of source waters. However, such protection in the metro area is complicated when drinking water management areas extend outside communities' jurisdictions or overlap with one another. Opportunities exist for more coordinated plans and implementation. Page - 12 I METROPOLITAN COUNCIL