HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.a. University of Minnesota UpdateUNIVERSI TY OF MINNESOTA Office of the vice President for External Hekitiotts
232 Morrill f fall
100 Church Sbeet S.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
(612)624-2855
June 2, 1988
Honorable Wendell Anderson Honorable Charles H. Casey
Honorable M. Elizabeth Craig Honorable Jack P. Grahek
Honorable Wally Hilke Honorable Elton A. Kuderer
Honorable David M. Lebedoff Honorable Charles E. McGuiggan
Honorable Wenda W. Moore Honorable David K. Roe
Honorable Stanley D. Sahlstrom Honorable Mary T. Schertler
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
As we anticipated at the May meeting of the Board, the Minnesota
Department of Health has announced to the residents of Rosemount
its intention to raise the Recommended Allowable Limit (RAL) for
chloroform in private wells from 5 parts per billion (ppb) to
57 ppb. The highest measured level of contamination in any of
affected residents' wells in Rosemount is 1.7 ppb. This increase
in the standards for allowable chloroform in private drinking
water will result in the University no longer being held responsi-
ble by the MPCA for the construction of an alternative drinking
water supply.
As described in the attached background statement, tinder our
written agreement with the MPGA the University had been proceeding
to install a rural water system for the affected residents. Design
and construction was halted in March to secure required permits but
has not been restarted because we learned that the RAL for chloro-
form would be relaxed. The MPCA has already indicated that it would
support a decision by the University to terminate the construction
of the water systema The administration is bringing -this decision
to the Board for its consideration.
After careful consideration of the alternatives, the administration
-
is recommending to the Board of Regents that the University complete
the water system. Total cost of the system is estimated at approxi-
mately $850,000. Only a small fraction of the total required
(approximately $30,000) has already been spent or specifically
committed. -Nevertheless the administration recommends this sub-
stantial, one-time expenditure of money to complete the system for
the following reasons:
I 0
•
Board of Regents
June 2, 1988
Page 2
(1) the residents of Rosemount have realized
hardship due to the chloroform in the water,
and an expectation has certainly been created
that a system of some kind would be constructed
to alleviate this problem;
(2) questions will remain about the safety of
the well water regardless of scientifically
set standards;
(3,) the University has an implicit moral
obligation to respond as a community
organization to correct this problem; and
(4) the long term interests of the University
are probably best served by construction
of the system and viewing it as one of the
costs of the land which encompasses the
Rosemount Research Center and recoverable
at the time of any transfer of the land.
Thus we are recommending that the University expend the resources
to complete this project ($850,8100 + $80,000 settlement fees for
well drilling).
In making this decision, the Board should consider that this expendi-
ture will be a "trade-off" with other pressing University needs. For
example, other fire and life safety items will be further delayed.
Other urgent needs could be met with these funds. Nevertheless,
after much deliberation the administration recommends the completion
of the rural water system but only if certain conditions are met, as
outlined in the proposed Regents' resolution on the attached pa9e.
Sincerely,
ichard B. Heydinger
Vice President
Attachments
c: Richard J. Sauer
Vice Presidents
Fay Thompson
Proposed Resolution
BE IT RESOLVED that with respect to the Consent Agreement
entered into in 1985, the Board of Regents directs the Administra-
tion to seek from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency a change
in the Agreement that terminates all provisions relating to instal-
lation of a water supply system in the Rosemount area and delegates
to the President the authority to execute such an Agreement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Regents hereby
authorizes the planning, design, and construction of a rural water
system as described in the materials presented to the Board subject
to the following contingencies:
1) The City of Rosemount enters into an agreement with
the University whereby it cooperates with the Univer-
sity during construction, takes over the system once
constructed, and assumes all responsibilities for the
system including, but not limited to, maintenance,
repair, replacement, or expansion of the system.
2) Each of the homeowners included in the drinking water
advisory executes an appropriate release approved by
the University Attorneys Office, including a release
of liability for providing a drinking water supply
including, but not limited to, any claims related to
property value.
SUI.111ARY
Chloroform Groundwater Contamination Project
Rosemount Research Center
In the early 1960's, a serious problem of surface water contamination
was recognized nationwide. Since the common practice of sewering waste
laboratory chemicals exacerbated the surface water problem, the
University of Minnesota began a program of collecting chemical wastes
from laboratories and taking them to a remote site at the Rosemount
Research Center (RRC) to be burned in a pit. This practice continued until
1974, when a local commercial disposal facility become available for
incineration of waste chemicals.
In 1904, a number of private wells immediately northeast of the RRC
were found to be contaminated with chloroform. Chloroform
concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 15 ppb; the recommended guideline for
chloroform in private wells was 5 ppb. The Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPGA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) jointly
identified an affected area including 20 wells and approximately 100
residents. At the request of the State agencies, bottled water for drinking
and cooking purposes was and still is provided by the University to the
off ected residents.
A Consent Agreement between the University and the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency was signed in 1905. It required a Remedial
Investigation (already underway), a feasibility Study, and Remedial Action.
The Remedial Investigation included the installation of approximot.ely 30
monitoring wells, and several hundred water samples were collected and
analyzed. A Detailed Analysis Report was preparared early in 1906,
recommending new, deeper wells as the most desirable Remedial Action to
provide an alternate supply for the affected residents. A prototype deep
well was installed at one residence in the summer of 1906; this well was
satisfactory in every respect except for the iron content of the water.
Although this some installation was offered to all other residents, none of
them were willing to accept this solution.
Chloroform Project Pole 2
In the summer of 1907, discussions were begun with the City of
Rosemount and the affected residents concerning the installation of a
rural water system rather than private wells. A public meeting held in
Rosemount in September indicated that a rural water system was
acceptable to a majority of the residents. Work then proceeded on design
of the system.
In February 1908 a test well for the water supply was begun. In
mid-February work on the project was stopped until certain details of
property. access and other legal items could be worked out. About a week
later, the University received verbal notification from the MPCA that the
recommended allowable limit (RAL) for chloroform in private wells was
about to be changed by MDH. The level was going to be raised from 5 to 57
ppb, a change that would eliminate the need for an alternative water
supply, according to MPCA judgment. The change was expected to be
announced within a week or two. At that point, the University put e
temporary hold on its own internal work and the consultant was notified
of the impending change. The University was strictig ordered not to
release the above information.
Announcement of the new RAL did not actually occur until Hog 12,
rather than in mid-March, leaving the University in the very uncomfortable
position of having taken action on information it could not reveal. At a
public meeting held May 16 it was very clear that most of the residents
still feel that they need the rural water system despite the change in
recommended limits.
The MPCA requested that the University carry out a complete round of
sampling of each affected residential well before the drinking water
advisory is actually lifted by MDH. Sampling was accomplished on May 23
and 24, and results will be available in two to three weeks.
C111010form Project f'at'e 3
Description of Rural Water System
The rural water system is designed to provide domestic quantities of
potable water to the approximately 28 families included in the drinking
water advisory issued by the Minnesota Department of Health in 1984. It
has been suggested that the system should also serve the Vocational
Technical Institute and the Rosemount Research Center. It will have
sufficient capacity to allow the City of Coates to connect to it if they
wish to do so.
The system will be supplied by a Jordon aquifer well, located at the
old Rosemount City Hall, which is outside of the area of chloroform
contamination. The service line will travel east on Highway 42 from the
supply well to a point slightly west of Highway 55; it will then travel
north to Highway 38, west on Highway 38 to Highway 52, and south an
Highway 52 to the north edge of Coates. A second line will be placed under
Highway 42 to connect the Vocational -Technical institute and the
Rosemount Research Center.
The total estimated cost of this system Is $847,147, as detailed on
the attached pages. This estimate includes the likelihood that some of the
installation would take place under winter construction conditions. It
must be emphasized that this figure is an estimate only. it is as accurate
as possible, given certain basic assumptions, but final design criteria have
not yet been completely established
COST ESTIMATE FOR IMIZAL 1YATElt
SYSTEM AND RESIDENTIAL WELL SAMPLING
Delta No. 10-86-054
1. Sampling of 24 residential wells using EPA Method 601, 602
a. Labor and expenses
$ 1,034.00
b. Laboratory analysis
2,500.00
C. Contingency (10%)
353.00
SUBTOTAL:
$ 3,887.00
2. Rural Water System
a. Consulting services to coordinate
conceptual design.
$ 7,395.00
b. Design, coordination, and construction
supervision of supply wells.
7,478.00
C. Design, coordination, supervision, and
evaluation of supply well pump test.
10,106.00
d. Contingency (20%)
4.996.00
SUBTOTAL:
$ 29,975.00
DELTA TOTAL:
$ 33,862.00
3. Dewild, Grant, Reckert and Associates (DGR)
estimated costs as shown on attachment.
$796,000.00
a. Bid received by supply well driller is
different from estimated cost in
Item 6. The cost difference per well
is $8642.50.
17 285.00
DGR TOTAL:
$813,285.00
PROJECT TOTAL:
$847,147.00
ATTACHMENT
i
ROSEMOUNT RURAL, WATER
PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATE
FROM NEW WELLS AT OLD
CITY HALL
May 1988
Item
No. of
Unit
Estimated
No •
Units_.
Description
Cost
Cost
1.
24,500
6#' PVC pipe
$ 6.60
$162,000
2.
13,150
410 PVC pipe
4.50
59,000
3.
4,800
211 PVC pipe
2.90
14,000
4.
Job
Valves, crossings and
miscellaneous (201)
Job
47,000
5.
27
Meter settings and
service line
900
22,000
6.
2
New well construction
25,000
50,000
7.
1
Well completion-pitless
adapter
-20,000
200000
8.
1
Well House with hydro-
pneumatic tank
,.,2!JD.000
Total Estimated Construction
Cost
$614,000
Design Services
40,000
Legal Services
50,000
Construction Services
45,000
Contingencies (151)
92,000
Total Estimated Project
Cost
$796,000
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