Galpin Lake has recovered from wastewater spill
Water quality test results for Galpin Lake, in Excelsior, taken on Thursday, June 1, show that elevated bacteria levels from a wastewater spill on May 22 have decreased. The entire lake is now well within acceptable levels for public contact with the water. Warning signage around Galpin Lake is being removed.
Residents should still avoid the stormwater pond on the northwest corner of the intersection of Highway 7 and Oak Street. Warning signage for this pond will be removed when water quality testing shows bacteria levels are acceptable.
The Metropolitan Council, operator of the regional wastewater collection and treatment system, responded Monday morning, May 22, to an interceptor sewer line break and resulting wastewater spill in Excelsior.
Crews from the Metropolitan Council’s Environmental Services division arrived onsite with flow management equipment to contain the spill the morning of May 22. By that afternoon, contractors had repaired the broken line. Fencing has been placed to keep children from the nearby Excelsior Elementary school from entering the work area.
Metropolitan Council Environmental Services crews removed and replaced the top foot of soil in the 1600 square foot impacted area. Additionally, contractors pumped the pond across Oak Street, near the location of the spill.
Water quality crews tested nearby bodies of water and installed signage warning the public “Do Not Enter Water/Contains Raw Sewage/No Fishing/No Swimming” around affected areas. Fliers were distributed to properties around Galpin Lake on May 26. Some wastewater was detected in the northwest bay of Galpin Lake, between Elm Place and Galpin Lake Road, though the oxygen levels that the fish in the lake depend on remained high. The lake has returned to acceptable levels, and the pond will be tested until water quality results are at an acceptable level.
Updates will be provided as we learn more. More detailed information on this spill is available here or see Excelsior Wastewater Spill at https://metrocouncil.org/spills. If you have questions, please contact our General Inquiries line at Metropolitan Council Environmental Services at MCES-Inquiries@metc.state.mn.us or 651-602-1269.