Sauk Rapids Seeking Bonding Money To Mitigate PFAS Contamination

(KNSI) – Water infrastructure is a common bonding request from cities this year, including in Sauk Rapids.

Senate Capital Investment Committee Chair Sandy Pappas says, “Many of these systems were built after World War II or were built during the 70s with the Clean Water Act, and they’ve just aged out. And most small communities have just not been willing to, or not been able to set money aside for replacement.”

Sauk Rapids is seeking help with PFAS mitigation. One of its wells is contaminated, and it is shutting down a second nearby well. Currently, it runs a low-pressure system to homes and businesses near the river and then a high-pressure one to newer developments up the hill through the water treatment plant. The systems run separately from each other, and they must be connected.

The city has already spent $1 million for emergency fixes, including drilling the new well to offset the ones it is losing. It also needs a new well house, plus the treatment plant connection. The total cost is $7.2 million. Sauk Rapids is asking the state to cover 50% of the bill.

Pappas says she appreciates Sauk Rapids has skin in the game already. That is viewed as a plus. Others are already making huge asks of their utility customers and need somewhere else to turn for help, though.

“They were heavily subsidized by the federal government originally, like 95%, and now they just can’t manage to swing it themselves. Many of them are already paying $100 a month, water and sewer bills.”

Sauk Rapids customers only pay about $60 per month, by comparison.

Sauk Rapids is also planning a Phase 3 improvement, which would add a carbon filter at the water plant to pull any potential future PFAS contamination out before it is sent to customers. The cost is estimated at $14 million.

City officials say the source of the PFAS contamination is still unknown.

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