Letter Sent To Spring Park Residents & Businesses - November 2013

November 15, 2013

Dear Spring Park Resident:

The City is working with the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to better understand why TCE levels have been slowly, but steadily, increasing in the City’s municipal water system over the past 10 years. TCE (trichloroethylene) is one of several harmful water contaminants that the City continually monitors to ensure that our municipal water system is in compliance with federal drinking water standards. The current federal drinking water standard for the maximum level of TCE is 5 parts per billion and to date the highest recorded level for the Spring Park municipal water system is 2.4 parts per billion.

It is important to note that while the City continues to comply with the federal drinking water standard for TCE, which is the only legally applicable standard for TCE in municipal water systems, the Minnesota Department of Health has recently issued a general recommendation of their own that those households with infants and children, pregnant women, and persons with impaired immune systems consider taking steps to reduce TCE exposure when levels are above .4 parts per billion (the most recent test on September 24, 2013 showed a level of 1.6 ppb). Ways to reduce exposure include: drinking bottled water, installing a point of use carbon filter for taps used for drinking water, installing a whole house carbon filter system, and installing a ventilation system to address TCE which may vaporize into the air during showers, etc.

To find out more about TCE and to keep up to date on the most recent news about water quality in Spring Park go to the City’s website at www.ci.spring-park.mn.us and click on the “Water Quality” tab on the home page. Additionally, the city’s quarterly newsletter will be used to update residents on the latest developments. If you would like to have an electronic version of the newsletter sent directly to your email, please go to the city’s website and click on the “Sign up for our eNewsletter & eNotice list” button on the home page and enter your email address.

Sincerely,

The Spring Park City Council