Three years after high levels of manganese were first identified in Mound’s water supply, the city has made slow but steady progress toward securing the $36 million in funding needed for a new water treatment facility.
Brian Simmons, city engineer, provided the annual “State of the Water” update at the March. 26 Mound City Council meeting, reiterating that the city’s ultimate goal is to provide Mound residents with safe and affordable drinking water.
According to Simmons, recent testing results revealed that the composition of the water remains unchanged from 2021 with manganese levels hovering around the maximum contamination limit of 0.5 milligrams per liter.
To date, the city has requested funding for the water treatment plant from three sources: Direct appropriations from the state of Minnesota; federal direct appropriations; and the Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF), administered via the Public Facilities Authority, which provides below market rate loans for public water system improvements.
The city was fortunate enough to receive $10.3 million from state appropriations last year and just recently secured almost $1 million in federal funding; however, a $24.5 million funding gap remains, posing a significant challenge to the city’s efforts to address the water supply issue.
Mayor Jason Holt emphasized to residents that the city’s water fund currently faces a deficit of $4 million and highlighted that raising water bills is not the preferred solution, given that Mound already has some of the highest water bills in the county.
Simmons shared that the city’s main priority going forward is to unlock the existing $10.3 million it received, which has been tied up because of language requiring the entirety of the project to be funded before it will be released. That is currently being addressed at the Minnesota Legislature by a proposed amendment to the original bill. Once the city receives that money, it plans to proceed with design plans for the water treatment facility so the project can be shovel ready.
Along with that, Simmons noted that the city will continue to submit the project for state and federal direct appropriations and the DWRF. The project is currently on the DWRF’s project priority list, and as of 2024, is ranked 135 out of nearly 850 projects in the state.
In addition to pushing for funding, Simmons stated that the city plans to continue to champion manganese contamination concerns at the state level and encouraged residents to do the same.
Simmons also emphasized to residents the importance of water softener maintenance, as the system has been shown to effectively eliminate manganese in many instances. Along with that, he urged residents to conduct water tests in their homes, providing a comprehensive list of local recommended laboratories available on the city’s website. Furthermore, he underscored that bottled water remains the recommended option for infants.
Another agenda item for the council was to pass a resolution opposing the proposed “Missing Middle” housing bills that are currently making their way through the Minnesota Legislature. According to Scott Landsman, city attorney, the legislation, if adopted, would greatly restrict local government zoning and land use authority. It would also remove resident participation in the democratic process by imposing administrative approval of significant subdivision and development applications, thereby eliminating the ability of residents to petition their local or any elected officials in a public forum regarding the impacts of an application on them or their community.
This move by the council follows Minnetrista and several other cities in the area which have taken similar stances.
The council also reviewed and discussed a draft ordinance aimed at establishing a licensing system for individuals or businesses seeking to rent or lease motorized watercraft within the city, which coincides with the imminent start of boating season. The council plans to vote on the ordinance at its April 9 meeting.
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