Rep. McCollum Seeks $4.4M For Woodbury Water-Well Project

WOODBURY, MN — Woodbury could be in line to get millions of dollars in federal funding to support a “shovel-ready” project to connect some of its wells to a water-treatment facility.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum submitted a request for Woodbury to get $4.4 million to put toward its long-term effort to mitigate contamination in the city’s drinking water supply.

That money would be spent on the East Wellfield Manifold Pipe project, which would connect municipal wells 15, 16 and 18 to a raw water line to take the water to a treatment plant for PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — and other chemicals, McCollum said in a news release.

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PFAS, also known as perfluorochemicals, are often called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment.

Prolonged exposure to PFAS can lead to negative health effects, including higher cholesterol, thyroid disease, reduced immune response, changes to liver function and increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Woodbury “has been substantially impacted by contamination of its source water,” with resident forced “to adjust to changing standards, health advisories, health concerns and water restrictions due to widespread PFAS contamination,” McCollum said.

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The $4.4 million connection project would build “resiliency in potable water supply” and address “water quality differences in the community,” she said. Construction on the project would likely start in 2023, according to the representative.

Members of Congress can request funding for up to 15 specific projects in their districts that "serve the public good" as part of the appropriations process.

Woodbury has been forced to remove many of its municipal wells from service in recent years due to high PFAS levels.

The PFAS in Woodbury's groundwater have been traced back to chemicals produced at 3M's Cottage Grove facility for almost 60 years until 2002. Those PFAS were disposed of at multiple sites in Washington County.

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Solid waste, industrial solvents and acids from 3M's Cottage Grove and St. Paul manufacturing facilities were disposed of at a site along Woodbury’s border with Cottage Grove, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Woodbury and Cottage Grove residents also used that site to dump municipal waste, including household, automotive and construction debris, health officials said.

Woodbury crews are working to expand capacity at a temporary water treatment plant near the intersection of Valley Creek Road and Tower Drive. That plant could be required for more than five years as the city works to build a long-term treatment facility, officials said.

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Woodbury bought a parcel of land south of Hargis Parkway and east of Radio Drive, on which officials plan to build a permanent facility to treat the city's water for PFAS. Construction is expected to start in 2023 or 2024, officials said.

Minnesota reached an $850 million settlement agreement with 3M in 2018, with about $700 million to be directed to mitigate PFAS in drinking water in the Twin Cities' east metro.

Woodbury officials have said they will try to get most of the costs for the permanent facility funded through the settlement agreement.

Click here to learn more about PFAS in Woodbury's groundwater.

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