5.3. SR 05-08-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of EII< River Item Number REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION 5.3. Agenda Section I Meeting Date Prepared by \'X/orksession fvIay 8, 2006 Rebecca Hallg, En"viroll11lental..;;"\dllnn Item Description Reviewed by Lake Orono Beach Posting Policy Introduction III July, 2003, a policy \vas establislled and adopted for Lake Orono to close tile beach if fecal colifotl1l COUllts exceeded 2,000. For tlle past couple of y'ears, tlle \vaste\vater Treatlnent Plant staff llas been testing Lake Orollo for fecal colifarn.l. Samples \vere taken and if 011 any slllgle day tlle fecal colifarn.l counts exceeded 1,000, sigtlage \vas posted at tlle beac1l stating "Caution - Ilnpaired \X1ater Quality- Potelltial Healtll Risk if S\vallo\ved". Salnpling \vas tllen conducted e\iery day follo\ving tlle exceedal1ce Ul1til tile a\Terage of tile three salnples taken at tlle Beacll fell belo\v 1,000 for t\vo consecutive days, at \\TIucll titne tlle caution signs \vere relno\red. If tlle average of any single day's sampling exceeded a fecal colifotlTI count of 2,000, Orono Beacll \vas closed and sigrls tllat read as fo11o\vs \vere posted: "Beach Closed - I1TIpaired \X1ater Quality - Potel1tial Healtll Risk if S\vallo\ved". Tlle Beacll \vas to relllalll closed alld daily teStlllg COl1ducted llntil fecal coliform counts for t\vo consecutive day's testing (tlle a\rerage of tIle three tests taken at tIle Beacll) fell belo\v 2,000, at \vhicll time tile caution signs \vere posted at tlle Beacll. \"XTllen tlle av"erage le\Tels at tlle Beacll return to 1,000 or less for t\VO consecutiv"e days, all sigt.lage \vas rell10\red. Discussion The city received inforlnation froln tile League of IV1ll1nesota Cities Insurance Tlust regarding beacIl closures. TIle inforn1.ation is based upon tile t..fulnesota Depart111.el1t of Healtll (t,fDH) guidelllles llsed for recreational pU1poses. IvfDH guidelines require tlle beacll to be posted \vIlen tile fecal coliforlTI CQUllts exceed 200. Staff is proposing to alnend tlle prev-ious policy and adopt tllls stal1dard. Three salnples \vould be taken at Orono beacll on ~londay and \\1ednesday. Pre\riously, sal1lples \vere taken on rvlonday al1d T1lillsday. Staff is proposing this cllange so if tlle tests 011 \"Y/ edl1esday are higIl, tlle city can test again on Tlllltsday to deterlnine if tile caution signs need to be posted o\ier tlle \'leek-end. Tests \vill also be COllducted tlle day before, \veek of and \veek after tile Sllerburne COllnt:y fair and allalyzed for fecal colifarl1.l. During tlle Sllerburne County fair, sev.eral people calnp out al1d in tlle past tllere lla\re beell COllcerns \vidl tile calnpers dUlnplllg tlleir se\vage into tile city's storl1.1. se\ver systelll \vhicll goes directly to Lake Orono. By testing during tlllS \'leek, tile City \vill k110\V if tllls is actually l1appenll1g and \vhen. The results froln tlle tests \vould tilen be av"eraged. If tlle counts exceed 200, sigrlage \vill be posted at tIle beacll stating "Caution - Ilnpaired \\later Quality - Potential Healtl1 Risk if S\vallo\ved". Salnpfu1g \vill be conducted e\7ery day follo\vlllg tlle exceedal1ce until tlle a\Terage of tlle tluee salllples taken at tile beaell fall belo\v 200 for t\vo cOl1secutiV"e days, at \vh1c11 tUne, tlle signs \"\Till be rel1loved. \\!llen tlle COllllts reach 200, additional tests \vill be conducted at tlle Higll\vay 10 bridge al1d \vllere tl1e Elk Ri\rer enters Lake Orono to ascertain \'vIlat future \vater quality 11lay be and if tile lllgll fecal count originated at tile beac11. Tllese tests shall cease \vllen tile a\rerage fecal coliforlTI levels fall belo\\! 200 at tile beacIl for t\vo C:\Documents and Settings\ra.llard\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\RE(~UEST COUNCIL ACTION-I 0 .doc