Clean Water Blog

In March 2008 the Associated Press reported that pharmaceuticals were detected in drinking water in 24 major metropolitan areas. Some of these pharmaceuticals are being introduced from people disposing of unused pharmaceuticals by pouring them down a drain or flushing down a toilet. Flushing and rinsing are currently the easiest and cheapest ways to get rid of unused pharmaceuticals.

A bill is now in the MN Legislature concerning safe disposal of unused pharmaceuticals. This is a “product stewardship program” – the drug manufacturers would be required to provide and finance a program to collect and dispose of the drugs at a hazardous waste facility.

If you think this is an important step in protecting our drinking water, please contact your congressman and voice your support for the.Minnesota Safe Drug Disposal Act of 2010.

HF1217 is a link to the language of the bill, tracking of the progress of the bill, and a link to the members of the House and Senate.

The Central Minnesota Water Education Alliance (CMWEA) is proud to announce its 2nd annual rain barrel sale. CMWEA is offering a 60 gallon rain barrel in your choice of Forest Green, Earth Brown or Nantucket Gray for $75.00 per barrel (tax included in price). The barrels come with a detachable lid, spigot, mosquito skirt, drain plug and overflow valve.

CMWEA will be accepting orders until May 13th, 2010 with a distribution date on June 5th, 2010. Please refer to our website at www.mnwaterconnection.com for additional information or call Carrie at (320)251-7800 x 153.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is promoting its second annual WaterSense “Fix a Leak Week”  (www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak), March 15 to 21, 2010, as a time to remind Americans to roll up their sleeves and save water.

Minor leaks from household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes — enough to supply Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami with their water needs for a year. EPA created this week-long annual event to give its WaterSense utility, community, manufacturer, retail, and professional partners a call to action to encourage saving water.

WaterSense is encouraging homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, and plumbing professionals to help find and fix leaks by promoting the following tips:

- Reduce faucet leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and, if necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense labeled model.

- Replace worn rubber flappers, which can cause silent leaks in toilets.

- For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

- Check landscape irrigation systems each spring before use to make sure they are not damaged by frost or freezing.

- Remember to look for the WaterSense label if you have to replace a bathroom fixture.

To learn more about Fix a Leak Week or to become a WaterSense partner, please visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

Community Clean-Ups for Water Quality Program Information & Training Session

March 9, 20109:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Stearns County Public Works Department

Waite Park, MN 

As a recognized water resource organization we hope you will join the Central Minnesota Water Education Alliance, Freshwater Society and the Friends of the Minnesota Valley for an information and training session on the Community Clean-Ups for Water Quality Program. This signature project of 2010 – The Year of Water is a unique phosphorus reduction project with measurable results for water quality improvement. The focus of this program is on stormwater education and pollution prevention. At the training, we will be distributing a community toolkit with detailed information on how to hold a Clean-Up for Water Quality. We are also in the process of creating a DVD that will provide information on the importance of protecting water quality, the direct link between our streets and our lakes and rivers, and how to hold a clean-up.

Registration is free and free materials will be distributed at the training session.

For more information or to register, contact Cherie Wagner at cwagner@freshwater.org or 763-219-1252 by March 5. We look forward to seeing you there!

There will be a FREE gardening knowledge workshop at Whitney Senior Center on Saturday, February 20, 2010. This event will include a rain barrel building session. You can preregister by calling the Stearns County Extension at 320-255-6169. There will be three one hour sessions to follow taught by Stearns County Master Gardeners. Registration is limited to 70 participants.

Friday, February 19, 7:30-9:00 a.m.
“Minnesota’s Clean Water Council”
Louis Smith and Earl Bukowski, Clean Water Council

The Clean Water Council was created, through Minnesota’s 2006 Clean Water Legacy Act, to advise on protecting, restoring, and preserving the quality of Minnesota’s surface waters. This mandate predates the constitutional amendment (the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment) that Minnesotans passed in November 2008, as well as the Clean Water Fund that was established as a result of the amendment.

What is the Clean Water Council working on and recommending for funding these days? Has its work changed since the passage of the constitutional amendment, and, if so, how? Join us for a conversation about the work of the Clean Water Council and how it is helping to preserve Minnesota’s water resources!

Louis Smith and Earl Bukowski are both members of the Clean Water Council (Smith is the former Chair). Louis Smith, of Minneapolis, is an attorney with Smith Partners PLLP. He serves as legal counsel for a number of watershed districts and -management organizations around the state. Earl Bukowski, of Sauk Rapids, is a Benton County Commissioner. He also serves on the Natural Resources Committee for the Association of Minnesota Counties.

Light breakfast provided. Free.

LOCATION:
St. Cloud City Council Chambers
400-2nd Street South, St. Cloud, 56301.

The Master Naturalist program is a community-based natural-resource volunteer program that is open to any adult who is interested in learning more about the natural world. This program is different than the Master Gardener program as it will provide participants a broader based understanding of the state’s natural environments.

Those who sign up for the program will have the opportunity to be trained in any one, or all, of Minnesota’s biomes - prairie, deciduous forest or coniferous forest. However, in order to be certified as a master naturalist, volunteers must complete 40 hours of training and a supervised sponsored outreach project. Following training, these conservationists will assist the DNR, the Extension Service and other partners with public outreach and management of the state’s diverse natural environments.

Additional information is available at http://www.MinnesotaMasterNaturalist.org .

The Sauk River Watershed District (SRWD) is updating the Rules for the District’s permitting program. These rules establish the baseline for when a permit is required on a project. The District’s watershed management plan identifies several areas where District Rules are necessary to effectuate the District’s statutory purposes. The Districts Rules are intended to fill gaps in existing federal, state, and local regulations, not duplicate existing regulation.

The four provisions in the rules are: Stormwater, Erosion Control, Drainage, and Water Uses. A complete copy of the rules is available on the SRWD website at www.srwdmn.org. It is also recommended to read the SONAR document along with the rules.

The Sauk River Watershed will hold a public hearing that is open to all persons within the Sauk River Watershed on January 26th, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. The hearing will be held at Melrose City Center, in Melrose, MN. The purpose of the hearing is to take comment on the proposed rules revision for the SRWD per Minnesota Statute 103D.341.

For more information about the Sauk River Watershed District programs visit our website at www.srwdmn.org or call (320) 352-2231.

Minnesotans will have the chance to voice their opinion in person on how the state should invest resources to protect clean water at statewide public meetings beginning Jan. 19, 2010 coordinated by the University of Minnesota’s Water Resources Center and the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources.

The meetings, called “listening sessions,” will be facilitated by staff from the Water Resources Center and Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and are a chance for people to voice their opinions on a range of water-related issues from boating and water recreation, to priorities for cleaning up polluted lakes and streams.

The meetings are scheduled as follows:
• Jan. 19 – Holiday Inn and Suites, 75 S. 37th Ave, St. Cloud.
• Jan. 21 – Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska.
• Feb. 3 — University of Minnesota, Crookston’s University Youngquist Auditorium, 2900 University Ave., Crookston.
• Feb. 4 – Northland Auditorium, 14250 Conservation Dr., Baxter.
• Feb. 10 – Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Building, 525 S. Lake Ave., Duluth.
• Feb. 11 – Holiday Inn South, 1630 S. Broadway, Rochester.
• Feb. 16 – Best Western Marshall Inn, 1500 E. College Dr., Marshall.
From 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., each meeting will focus on concerns of professionals associated with local government units, soil and water conservation districts and watershed districts. Citizens, community leaders and elected and appointed officials will have a chance to share their concerns from 4 to 6 p.m.

The meetings are free and open to the public

The U of MN Water Resources Center received a grant of $750,000 to develop a 25-year framework for Minnesota. This money is generated by the increased sales tax that MN citizens approved in the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment last November.

The framework will direct how the State on how to protect and enhance the quality and quantity of Minnesota’s ground and surface waters.

They want this framework to reflect the perspectives of people from across the state – not just the technical, agency, or legislative interests in Saint Paul. There is a survey posted on the WEB – this is an opportunity for you to give your opinion and be heard!

The website is www.wrc.umn.edu