The City of Hastings, under the guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), continuously monitors its public water system for the presence of drinking water contaminants. On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, the City was informed by the MDH that 5 of its 6 municipal wells are now above the allowable drinking water standard for PFAS due to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releasing maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS to 4 parts per trillion.
WHAT THIS MEANS
PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) are a family of manmade chemicals that have been widely used since the 1940s in products such as Teflon, Scotchgard, microwave popcorn bags, various industrial applications, cosmetics and other consumer products. They have been called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment.
Based on advances in science and emerging knowledge of the health effects of PFAS on humans, the EPA and MDH have changed regulations and state guidelines to make them stricter by lowering current thresholds. This has triggered a requirement for Hastings to implement treatment to remove PFAS from our drinking water supply to meet the new limits.
Several PFAS chemicals are present in Hastings City wells but, until now, the levels did not exceed MDH guidance values. The levels of these contaminants remain the same in the Hastings water supply, but the threshold limit has now been lowered.
IMPACTS TO HASTINGS RESIDENTS
The City takes this matter seriously and has been actively taking steps to mitigate this issue. However, this is not an emergency. You do not need an alternative source of water (such as bottled water), nor do you need to boil water before use. People with specific health concerns are encouraged to consult their doctor or health care provider. Residents with questions about the effectiveness of their home water treatment systems in filtering PFAS should consult with the system manufacturer or installation company.
STEPS THE CITY OF HASTINGS IS TAKING
Since late 2022, City staff have been working with state agencies to learn more about Hastings PFAS levels, where the chemicals come from and how to best mitigate them in the future. This is a long-term process. A Limited Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) identified potential source locations of PFAS contributing to groundwater
contamination. A Phase 2 ESA investigation is now being completed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to narrow down the sources by installing test wells and collecting other field data. MPCA is also working with 3M to have a model specific to Hastings created to understand the connection with groundwater at the Mississippi River, which could allow the City to access the 3M East Metro Settlement Funding.
The City completed a feasibility study to address PFAS and Nitrate contamination, which considered several alternatives and recommended construction of three water treatment plants. MDH has approved the feasibility study. The City is now in design of the first water treatment plant, including an interconnect with the Hastings Veteran’s Home.
The total cost estimate is nearly $68.9M for three water treatment plants and associated water lines. The City has placed this funding need on the State’s Drinking Water Revolving Fund Project Priority List and has submitted the project to the State’s Bonding Bill. Federal Community Project Funding will be applied for when available this spring. The City will consider potential increases in water rates during its budget planning process this summer.
Although the funding has not yet been determined, the City did obtain a PFAS Planning and Design Grant from the MPCA in the amount of $3.18M to fund the design of the water treatment system. The plans and specifications for the first phase are expected to be completed by August 2024. Anticipating constructing one plant each year, the project would be completed in late 2027.
LEARN MORE AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES
Visit the City webpage on PFAS at WWW.HASTINGSMN.GOV/PFAS, where you can also see the City’s most recent
Drinking Water Report (Consumer Confidence Report).
The Minnesota Department of Health www.health.state.mn.us (search for “PFAS”) has general information about PFAS and human health and ongoing activities in Minnesota. The page also includes information on steps that consumers can take to protect themselves from exposure to PFAS. Residents with specific concerns should contact their healthcare providers.
The EPA website is https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas where you can find the EPA factsheets and other resources provided.
For health-related questions, please contact the MDH Site Assessment & Consultation Unit at 651-201-4897, or toll-free at 1-800-657-3908, or by email: health.hazard@state.mn.us. For questions related to the Hastings Public Water Supply, contact the City at 651-480-6185, or the MDH Drinking Water Protection at 651-201-4700 or health.drinkingwater@state.mn.us.
COMMUNITY MEETING
A Community Meeting will be hosted by the City of Hastings within the next 30 days. Please stay tuned for notice of this meeting once we have it scheduled. Staff from the City, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Minnesota Department of Health will provide a presentation on recent water testing results, impacts of PFAS, updates on the investigations for sources of PFAS in the region, project details for the water treatment plants, and answer questions.
Water customers are requested to share this information with all other people who consume City of Hastings water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly. (For example: people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses.) If you are a landlord, please post this notice in a public place or distribute copies by hand or by mail to your tenant(s).
For more information, please visit www.hastingsmn.gov/PFAS, or contact the City of Hastings at: Email: rstempski@hastingsmn.gov Phone: 651-480-2368.
