City Council Meeting Date: November 12, 2024
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: James McDermott, Water Quality Technician
Sean Simonson, Engineering Manager
David E. Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Consider Resolution adopting the Waste Load Allocation Implementation Plan.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the attached Resolution adopting the Waste Load Allocation Implementation Plan.
Summary Report:
In the Fall of 2021, the City of Northfield was authorized for coverage under the updated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Along with authorization under this new permit, the City of Northfield received new Waste Load Allocations (WLAs) from the Cannon River Watershed and Restoration Protection Strategies (WRAPS) Report. With the addition and evaluation of the new and existing WLAs, a study was commissioned to identify ways the City of Northfield can continue to reduce storm water pollution and identify strategies that will assist in meeting WLAs over the next several years.
Based on current understanding, the long-term goal will be for the City of Northfield to attain a 45 percent reduction from the existing discharge total phosphorous (TP) loading rate from the overall drainage area. This goal is subject to change as the MPCA adjusts WLAs to account for current water quality conditions. A 45 percent reduction from the existing TP load reduction rate would correspond with approximately 20 pounds of additional TP loading that the city would need to successively reduce on an annualized basis.
The City hired Barr Engineering Co. (Barr) to develop a Waste Load Allocation Implementation Plan (Attachment #2) and adaptive tool that supports the plan and can be used for future modeling scenarios. This Plan is intended to play an active role in supporting the city's Strategic Initiatives, Climate Action Goals, a...
Click here for full text