DEPARTMENT: Environmental Resources
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
title
Authorization To Execute Technical Assistance Agreement with U.S. Geological Survey For Analysis Of Drinking Water Samples
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize execution of a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to complete laboratory analysis of drinking water samples.
SUMMARY
More than 90 percent of Dakota County residents rely on groundwater for their water supply, whether it comes from a public water supplier or from a private drinking water well. In 2023, the Minnesota Geological Survey published Part A of the Geologic Atlas of Dakota County. Part A is a series of geologic maps showing properties and distribution of sediments and rocks in the subsurface. In 2025, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin work on Part B of the Groundwater Atlas of Dakota County. Part B includes maps of water levels in aquifers, direction of groundwater flow, water chemistry, and sensitivity to pollution. Both atlases together provide information essential to sustainable management of groundwater resources for applications such as monitoring, water allocation, permitting, remediation of contaminated groundwater, and well construction. The Geologic Atlas and Groundwater Atlas are used by many and provide valuable information for engineering, environmental, economic, and societal purposes.
Expanding research of groundwater conditions, by testing for neonicotinoids, is an important step toward identifying and reducing groundwater contamination and protecting public health in the county. The DNR will collect water samples from 90 private drinking water wells to test for a standard list of general chemistry parameters. The County proposes to enhance the Groundwater Atlas by contributing sample analysis for a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, that will greatly expand our knowledge of groundwater contamination. Neonicotinoids ...
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