DEPARTMENT: Environmental Resources
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
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Authorization To Submit Clean Water Fund Competitive Grant Application For Well Seal Grants
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize submission of a $100,000 Clean Water Fund (CWF) Competitive Grant application to the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) to continue to support the Dakota County Well Seal Grant Program.
SUMMARY
The State CWF was established with the purpose of protecting, enhancing, and restoring water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams, in addition to protecting groundwater and drinking water sources from degradation. The CWF Competitive Grant is a biennial application process. The County Board of Commissioners approved using CWF dollars to support the Well Seal Grant Program during the last application round by Resolution No. 24-369 (July 30, 2024).
Staff proposes to apply for the 2027 CWF Competitive Grant to continue to support the Dakota County Well Seal Grant Program. Grant funds will be used for staff time in project development, program management, and administration costs. The grant will also provide up to 50 percent cost-share funding to reimburse property owners for sealing unused wells. Requesting continued CWF support for well sealing activities is important. The Well Seal Grant Program provides over $80,000 annually in cost-share to property owners.
Unsealed water supply wells not in use pose a threat to health, safety, and the environment by providing a potential conduit for contamination from the surface down to drinking water aquifers. MN Statute 103I requires well owners to seal unused wells. A well must be sealed by a licensed well contractor. The costs associated with well sealing can be a financial burden for the well owner, so well sealing grants provide an incentive for well owners to bring their properties into compliance with the law.
Dakota County is eligible to receive this grant because of the adopted 2020-2030 Dakota County...
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