Stempski reminisces of Summer 2022

This was the first time that we started as a city to really get involved and follow the science and determine what to do for our water system.”

Public Works Director Ryan Stempski

Starting in August, the city will begin construction on the water line project running from Well 7 to the site of the future water treatment plant. The route of that water line will run mainly along Seventh Street West.

Residents and business owners filled city hall to hear about the upcoming construction of the central water treatment plant (WTP) to be located at 1292 North Frontage Road. At the Tuesday, March 25 meeting, Public Works Director Ryan Stempski walked residents through the origin of Hastings PFAS, the timeline for the central WTP construction, and the design of the central WTP site.

PFAS in Hastings
Stempski discussed the origins of the city’s involvement in the PFAS issue in Hastings, dating back to Summer 2022 when city officials received interim health advisories being issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“This was the first time that we started as a city to really get involved and follow the science and determine what to do for our water system,” said Stempski.
Then in April 2024, the EPA formalized its new drinking water standards which compelled cities across the country, including Hastings, to improve its drinking water to below the new federal standards by 2029.
Due to Hastings’ decentralized wells, the creation of a single, centralized WTP that would process all of Hastings’ drinking water would be difficult and expensive, requiring piping from each well to a central location. Instead, the city decided to move forward with three WTPs across the city. The expected cost of this project is $68.3 million.
As to how to pay that price tag, the city continues to look for revenue across various sources. First and foremost is from 3M itself. Both Stempski and City Administrator Dan Wietecha have spoken to their belief that the contamination in Hastings’ city water comes from 3M dumping sites in Washington County. Those dumping sites were the basis for the lawsuit which resulted in the 2018 3M settlement fund which was designed to pay for water treatment in cities across Washington County to which Hastings does not have access.
As of this writing, only one well, Well 5, has been officially connected to the 3M settlement fund and is therefore covered by 3M funds. It was because of that connection of Well 5 to 3M that the construction order for WTPs shifted.
The city pivoted in October 2024 to begin construction on the central WTP after it was clear the city would receive some $14.5 million for the project from the 3M settlement fund. On Jan. 1, 2025, the city raised water rates by 10% to generate funds for the central WTP, with a future water rate increase expected for July.

Central WTP timeline
Starting in August, the city will begin construction on the water line project running from Well 7 to the site of the future water treatment plant. The route of that water line will run mainly along Seventh Street West.
For this water line project, the final design is expected to be completed by early May, with bids opening in July. Construction will run from August to October with final completion expected in November. For the construction, half of the street will be ripped up in order to place the 12-inch diameter pipe 8 feet below the ground. The process will involve crews digging an 8-foot-deep trench that will disturb half of the street including curbs and the ends of driveways. Residents can expect only a few hours of inaccessibility to their driveway as construction works its way along the street, backfilling as it moves.
When construction moves from Seventh Street West to North Frontage Road, crews will switch to horizontal directional drilling, in which pits are dug and drill run parallel to the ground at a depth of 8 feet.

Central WTP design
Stempski also showed off the designs of the central WTP itself along with what will be a water treatment campus, including the current nitrates water treatment system. The current reservoir on the site stands 52 feet tall with the nitrate treatment plant at 25 feet tall. The plans for the PFAS WTP have the facility at just over 33 feet in height.
The final design for the site is expected to be completed by May 2025 with bids opening July 15. Construction on the central WTP itself will begin in August 2025 and run through January 2027.
The central WTP will use granular activated carbon filters that must be replaced regularly, expected at least once annually. To do so, semi-trucks will drive into the WTP to replace the filters and haul away spent filters.
“Everything’s closed off to the public, so you’re not going to see these things. You’re not going to hear these operations,” said Stempski.
The process of purchasing new filters, hauling them in, and the hauling away and destruction of spent filters will take up the vast majority of the $1 million annual maintenance expected once all three WTPs are completed. The annual cost for each facility is expected to be around $300,000 according to Wietecha.
In order to minimize maintenance costs of bringing in new filter media, the WTPs will implement additional filters and pre-treat water in order to “maximize the life of this medium,” said Stempski.
After the presentation, residents were able to ask questions specific to their homes and businesses in the area, working with city engineers to answer questions.