SOLID WASTE/ WATER QUALITY RUNOFF
TO:
Building Inspection (Sulzer); City Attorney (Paulsen, Strange, Viste); Engineering
(Bemis, Dailey, Fries, Phillips, Steinhorst); Health (Hausbeck, Sorsa, Wenta); Streets
(Schumacher); Water Utility (Braselton, DeMorett, Grande, Heikkinen, Larson)
CC FYI: Mayor Cieslewicz, Ray Harmon
MINUTES
WEDNESDAY –SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 – 1:00 PM
CITY-COUNTY BUILDING, ROOM 108
Present: Bemis, Dailey, Fries, Steinhorst, Wenta, Schumacher, Braselton
SOLID WASTE
1. Dust control at construction sites – Following up on a complaint, Wenta asked who to
contact with issues of dust from construction sites. Fries doesn’t think there is anything
within MGO Chapter 37, though there is language in the DNR land disturbance (WRAPP)
permit for projects over an acre. There is language in our specs dealing with dust control
for our Public Works Projects. Wenta shall check the Air Quality Ordinance as well.
WATER QUALITY
2. Discussion: Construction site dewatering and concrete waste management – Wenta has
gotten complaints of concrete washing and wet cutting that result in highly alkaline
wastewater running into the storm sewer. The city requires plans for reducing the turbidity
(suspended solids removal), but there is currently nothing requiring reducing alkalinity.
Other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, and Seattle, do require alkalinity control,
which likely requires hauling wastewater off site to a treatment plant. This is a topic for
further discussion, as getting a handle on wet concrete cutting and slurry discharge has
important environmental implications on our local waterways. A handout from Wenta is
attached. Steinhorst shall search the web for any specifications or requirements in other
cities.
3. Sweeping/hydrant flushing/catchbasin cleaning coordination – In previous years this
coordination effort has gone well. There are two areas of concern on the east side where
hydrant flushing is scheduled from mid-September to end of October, which could conflict
with leaf accumulation. Streets will want to coordinate a sweeping prior to this flush.
Braselton said that he would check into it and get back to Schumacher.
4. Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination – This year the IDDE sampling got started late,
and has added stagnant water to the sampling protocol. Health feels it is important to test
stagnant water, as they have already had some sites flagged, though next year the
SOLID WASTE/ WATER QUALITY RUNOFF
sampling needs to get started earlier (around June 1) in order to avoid conflict with
sampling/testing for landfill sites later in the year.
5. Carpet Cleaners – Wenta called around and got positive feedback on providing carpet
cleaners with specific, appropriate locations to dispose of waste water (10 out of 12 said
they would haul it to a city site, if provided). One company has a contract with a local car
wash for waste water drop-off.
6. Garbage bin cleanout sampling – Schumacher asked if Health would be willing to sample
the waste water from cleaning out a typical household garbage bin. Health will be happy
to help, and they will coordinate the testing next spring.
7. MMSD pollutant trading – Fries reported that MMSD will be forming a group to discuss
phosphorus trading with regards to new state standards. There have not been many
successful attempts at pollutant trading, and so the results will prove to be interesting.
2010 SW/WQR MEETING DATES: Please Mark your calendars
All meetings at 1:00PM
January 6
February 3
March 3
April 7
May 5
June 2
July 7
August 4
September 1
October 6
November 3
December 1