UPDATE 4pm: Teri Knight spoke with Dave Bennett. Click on the audio file to hear the story.
The City is providing an advisory warning to the public to consider avoiding direct contact with the water on the Cannon River downstream of Northfield through 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 6th.
NOTE: KYMN has reached out to Dave Bennett for more information. We’re hoping to have him on the air tomorrow (July 4th) morning at 7:20am with Jeff Johnson
The City has contacted governmental jurisdictions in Dakota County and Goodhue County that are downstream from Northfield who are determining if there are any public health notifications or restrictions that are appropriate. Designated City staff continue to communicate with these partners.
This advisory is in response to recent wastewater discharge into the Cannon River. On July 2,
2018, at approximately 8:00 p.m., staff working at the Wastewater Treatment Plant responded to
an alarm. It was determined there was a PVC pipe break in the system causing approximately
1,000,000 gallons treated and untreated wastewater to enter the Cannon River between the
approximate hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 3rd. The discharge is less than
1{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} of the total flow in the river during that time. Staff responded and have been working
continuously to contain the discharge.
The Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently functioning in critical to stable condition. Staff is
continuing to work on plant maintenance repairs in response to the event and monitoring the
operations.
Staff notified Minnesota Pollution Control Agency immediately upon the discharge.
The cause of the breakdown is continuing to be evaluated.
For more information, contact City Public Work Director Dave Bennett at 507-645-3006 or
david.bennett@ci.northfield.mn.us
