Pipestone’s Comprehensive Approach to Protecting Drinking Water

Stories from the source

The city of Pipestone has been active in protecting their source water since the adoption of their wellhead protection plan in 2015. As part of their efforts to protecting drinking water, the city conducted an inventory of septic systems in the vulnerable Drinking Water Supply Management Area (DWSMA) to work with homeowners to fix failed septic systems that were pumping sewage onto the ground surface. Through Source Water Protection Grants, the city provided financial assistance to homeowners to help them connect to city sewer services, and are working on replacing leaking clay sewer lines, which will eliminate potential sources of contamination to their drinking water. Pipestone has applied for Source Water Protection Grants, made possible by Clean Water Fund, to support drinking water activities since 2014.

Pipestone has been able to complete a variety of projects through financial support from Source Water Protection Grants. The city prioritized the health of its aquifer by installing a new monitoring well to collect and analyze data that helps investigate water quality and sustainability. The city partnered with Minnesota Department of Health and Department of Natural Resources to acquire well monitoring information and to determine the most effective approach to understanding the aquifer’s conditions. Pipestone also sealed a large diameter well that was located within a paint shop, to protect the aquifer. Lastly, the community provided education materials to residents on the importance of wellhead protection. As of 2022, Pipestone has been awarded a total of $19,936 in Source Water Protection Competitive Grants and $24,735 in Implementation Grants to complete various projects to protect drinking water sources.

They were also one of the first in Minnesota to jointly tackle wastewater and drinking issues through drinking water treatment. The new treatment plant upgrades were designed to reduce the hardness of water leaving the plant. This innovative approach eliminated the need for residents to use ion exchange water softeners in their homes, which discharge chloride into wastewater. The city continued to work with residents to optimize and remove home water softeners to meet their chloride wastewater limit. Their water treatment plant upgrades were funded through a $8.4 million loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) program and a $7 million Point Source Implementation Grant from the State of Minnesota.

To recognize these efforts, the city of Pipestone received an Aquarius Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This award acknowledged Pipestone’s excellence and leadership in the financing and construction of the new water treatment plant to address public health and environmental issues. Additionally, the city of Pipestone was recognized as the 2023 Dave Neiman Source Water Protection Award winner for large systems from the Minnesota Rural Water Association and Minnesota Department of Health for their work to protect drinking water sources.

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