Adopt Resolution #20-174 Authorizing Application for Fiscal Year 2021 Source Water Protection Plan Implementation Grant

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to adopt Resolution #20-174 authorizing Staff to apply for fiscal year 2021 Source Water Protection Plan Implementation Grant funding to evaluate the well casing for municipal water supply Well #1. 

Background:
The Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota constitution provides funding to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to establish a source water protection (SWP) implementation grant program, which is administered through the MDH Drinking Water Protection Section.  The fundamental goal of SWP is to prevent contamination from entering sources of public drinking water at levels that present a risk to people.
 
On January 31, 2020, the MDH approved the City of Ramsey’s Wellhead Protection Plan (WHPP) Part 2 Amendment.  Section 7.7.7 of the WHPP Part 2 Amendment identifies the need to evaluate the well casing for municipal Well #1.  In the Part 1 WHPP amendment (MDH, 2018) it was noted that the tritium concentration in a groundwater sample collected from Well #1 in 2017 was higher than the tritium concentration in a sample collected from Well #1 in 2006. The rise in tritium concentration could be an indication of a leak in the well casing.  The plan therefore called for the City to hire a well contractor to evaluate the condition of the casing during the next scheduled maintenance of Well #1. The estimated cost for this evaluation in 2018 was $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the level of effort required to determine if the casing is compromised.
 
Tritium is a naturally occurring radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is generated in very small amounts by nuclear power plants.  Atmospheric concentrations of tritium rose in the 1950s and early 1960s due to atmospheric hydrogen bomb testing.  Tritium is therefore used extensively to date groundwater.  The presence of tritium at concentrations above 1 tritium unit in a groundwater sample indicates the presence of a significant fraction of post-1954 (i.e., recently infiltrated) water in the sample.
 
The total amount of SWP implementation plan grant funding available under this notice is $175,000. The minimum amount for any grant is $1,000 and the maximum amount is $10,000.  No local cost share is required for receiving a grant, but based on the estimated cost for this work Staff anticipates the City will need to fund a portion of the work.  Any required City funding would be taken from water enterprise funds.  Staff proposes to apply for the maximum grant amount of $10,000.
 
A copy of the grant notification letter, which includes more detailed information on the grant program, is attached to this case.  Applications for this grant program will be accepted from 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 1, to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2020.  Local agencies will be notified whether they were awarded the requested grant funds by the end of October, 2020. All awarded funds must be expended by December 31, 2021.
 
Each grantee must formally enter into a grant agreement. The grant agreement will address the conditions of the award, including implementation for the project.  Once the grant agreement is signed, the grantee is expected to read and comply with all conditions of the grant agreement.  Upon award of the requested grant funds, the City Council will be asked to accept the grant funds and approve the execution of the required grant agreement.
 
A copy of frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) for this grant program is also attached.   

Staff recommends adopting Resolution #20-174 authorizing Staff to apply for fiscal year 2021 Source Water Protection Plan Implementation Grant funding to evaluate the well casing for municipal water supply Well #1, which will include soliciting quotes from at least two qualified well contractors to evaluate the well casing for water supply Well #1. 

Adopt Resolution #20-174 authorizing Staff to apply for fiscal year 2021 Source Water Protection Plan Implementation Grant funding to evaluate the well casing for municipal water supply Well #1.