Agenda - Council - 10/27/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7. 1. CC Regular Session Meeting Date: 10/27/2026 Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Address infrastructure needs. Title: Adopt Resolution #26-229 Accepting Proposals and Awarding Contract for Municipal Wells #9 and #10 Well Siting As sessment Purpose/Background: Purpose: The purpose of this case is to adopt Resolution #26-229 accepting proposals and awarding a contract for a Well Siting Study for proposed municipal Wells #9 and #10. Background: The City of Ramsey's existing municipal wellfields are comprised of 8 wells. Wells 1 and 2 are located in the southeast area of the city, while Wells 3 through 8 are located in the southcentral portion of the city. All 8 wells draw water from the Tunnel City-Wonewoc aquifer and range in depth between 316 and 390-feet. Attached is a copy of the 2021 Feasibility Study prepared by SEH, Inc. while planning for the Centralized Water Treatment Plant that contains detailed information on the city's existing water supply system and groundwater aquifers. Figure 1 (page 54) shows the city's existing water supply system, including the 8 well locations. Figures 6 (page 84) and 8 (page 86) show the thicknesses of the Tunnel City and the Wonewoc aquifers, respectively, which is critical information needed to properly site new wells. The following italicized text copied from pages 24 and 25 of the feasibility study confirms that the city's source water aquifer is anticipated to continue to produce sufficient quantities of potable water to meet the city's present and foreseeable future demands, and that the city should plan additional well sites so as to ensure static water levels will remain sufficiently above top of aquifers to meet MnDNR thresholds. At present, there is no reason to assume that the current source water aquifer for the City of Ramsey will not be able to supply potable water for the foreseeable future. The City of Ramsey's source water aquifer and wells are able to meet present day demand and appear to have a noticeable but temporary radius of influence on the surrounding aquifer. The wells are able to support high pumping rates with specific capacity showing acceptable drawdown alongside the aquifer ability to recharge to static levels within a clay of pumping. The City of Ramsey will need to balance water demand with drawdown to meet Minnesota Department of Natural Resources drawdown thresholds described in MN Rule 6115.0630 Definitions Subps.15 and 16. Two thresholds are in place and regulate that wells must not drawdown MnDNR assigned static water levels to within 50-percent and 25 percent to the top of aquifer: These threshold values are set by a MnDNR observation well and would typically be enforced if long term issues are observed. Thresholds for the City of Ramsey could become a concern if there is extended pumping within a single well or pumping by multiple wells in close proximity. In summary, it is SEH's opinion that there is a 95% to 99% certainty that the source water aquifer for the City of Ramsey will continue to produce potable water to meet present and foreseeable future demands; however, the City of Ramsey should plan additional well sites to ensure static water levels remain sufficiently above top of aquifers to meet MnDNR thresholds. Single well pumping for the City of Ramsey, as depicted by Well 5 in May, 2019 saw approximately 90 to 100 feet of temporary drawdown. This observed drawdown nears the MnDNR 50-percent threshold; however, the pumping extended multiple days and recharged within the same time period back to static levels. This supports the ability of the wells to supply continued water and ability to stay within prescribed State Statute.