27 September 2023
Radium levels in the drinking water continue to be a concern for the city of Inver Grove Heights.
Radium, a naturally occurring radioactive metal, can be found in small amounts in Minnesota’s groundwater, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. When levels exceed the standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, treatment is required.
Drinking water that has radium in it exposes people to “very low doses of radiation,” the Minnesota Department of Health reports in general data about radium in community water systems. “You have a higher risk of getting cancer if you drink water with radium in it every day for many years,” the health department states in the data report.
The Minnesota Department of Health first notified Inver Grove Heights on Jan. 30 that the radium levels in the city’s water were out of compliance. The problem is attributed to filters at the water treatment plant that are due for replacement.
More recent testing continues to document elevated levels.
“The latest tests of water at the Inver Grove Heights Water Treatment Plant show a modest increase in the recent radium levels over previous tests taken this spring,” the city reported in an update posted on its website on Monday.
The city reports that water samples taken on June 20 by the Minnesota Department of Health as part of the 2023 first quarter testing cycle resulted in a combined radium reading of 6.2 picoCuries per Liter (pCi/L).
The test brings the city’s “rolling annual average” for combined radium up to 5.4 pCi/L, which is the maximum level allowed by the EPA, according to the city.
Residents do not need to take any special precautions, the city says, unless individuals have been otherwise advised by their medical providers.
“The water is safe to drink and there isn’t any need for alarm,” says Amy Looze, communications manager for the city of Inver Grove Heights.
Due to issues including supply-side challenges as well as the need to work around community water usage peaks during the summer months, city officials say the planned upgrades and improvements to the city’s water treatment facility are not expected to begin until the fall of 2024, with completion by the spring of 2025.
From 2021, the interior of the City of Inver Grove Heights Water Treatment Facility. (Courtesy of the City of Inver Grove Heights)
In the meantime, tests will continue to be conducted every three months and shared with the public.
“The Minnesota Department of Health keeps testing, we share it when we get it to be transparent,” says Brian Connolly, public works director for the city of Inver Grove Heights. “We know there’s an issue, we’re trying some things in the interim while we move forward with an upgrade to our water treatment facility.”
For more information, go to ighmn.gov/1463/Water-Notice.
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