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Stillwater to treat water for PFAS with $2.5M temporary facility
Construction will begin this summer on a temporary solution to PFAS chemicals found in parts of Stillwater's water supply.
Market and Johnson Inc., of Eau Claire, Wis., submitted the lowest bid to construct a temporary facility to treat water from one of Stillwater's wells to meet the latest standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as 'forever chemicals' because they resist breaking down in the environment.
Five bids were received and opened, city officials said. Market and Johnson, which has a local office in Stillwater, submitted a bid of $2,517,000, which beat the engineer's estimate of $2,678,000, city officials said. The Stillwater City Council voted June 3 to accept the bid.
The facility, which will be located adjacent to Well No. 10 near Benson Park, is expected to be in operation until a permanent solution is found. The facility will use granulated activated carbon to treat the water.
The city secured a $3 million grant from the Public Facilities Authority for construction of the temporary water treatment facility, said City Administrator Joe Kohlmann. Construction will begin this summer, and the facility should be operational by late 2025 or early 2026, he said.
PFAS chemicals were found to have contaminated drinking water supplies in parts of the eastern Twin Cities, including in Stillwater's groundwater supply. 3M and other companies manufactured the substances for use in products ranging from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam, but now they have made their way into water and food supplies across the country and have been linked to cancers and other health issues.
The Trump administration recently announced plans to relax limits on certain 'forever chemicals.' But for two commonly found types, PFOA and PFOS, the limits put in place by the Biden administration will remain in place. Utilities will have two more years — until 2031 — to meet them.
Two wells in Stillwater – Well No. 6 and Well No. 10 – were found to contain PFAS at levels above health-based guidance values for drinking water. An additional well, Well No. 9, contains PFAS at levels just below these standards.
All three wells are currently inactive and are not providing water for the community, Kohlmann said. The temporary treatment facility at Well No. 10 will ensure the well can safely be put back into service to meet drinking-water standards, he said.
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