The Metropolitan Council has determined water quality in Cedar Lake has returned to background levels following a wastewater spill on Friday, March 28. Based on bacteria results from water samples and comparison of water quality to recent Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Cedar Lake monitoring results, Met Council scientists have determined the spill is no longer affecting Cedar Lake, and no longer poses a risk to public health. Signs warning the public “Do Not Enter/Sewage Spill” along the lake have been removed.
Fact-finding since the day of the spill indicates a combination of issues may have caused the spill. As part of a construction project near the spill site, crews were permitted temporary access to direct nonhazardous construction dewatering flow into Met Council’s wastewater conveyance system. Current information indicates that at the access point to our wastewater system, a valve was left open and a cap was left unsecured. The lift station’s pump cycling on and off created pressure at the temporary coupling, causing it to separate.
Met Council will be launching an after-incident lessons learned exercise to verify all potential issues that contributed to this spill and to plan for enhanced preventative practices.