Removal of Underground Storage Tank Protects School’s Drinking Water

Stories from the source

Esko Public School District had a 10,000-gallon fuel oil tank located within 400 feet of a well, which supplied drinking water to approximately 1,500 students, teachers, and supporting staff. In 2018, the school completed a project to upgrade its heating system to new gas boilers and decided it was time to remove the fuel oil tank since it was no longer needed and presented a contamination risk to the water supply wells. During a wellhead protection meeting in 2018, the district recognized the risks of the unused fuel oil tank and decided to take action to protect their water supply and remove the tank.

MDH sanitarian Cordell Manz and planner Chris Parthun played key roles in supporting Esko Public School District through the process of writing the project evaluation forms and consulting the district's Wellhead Protection Plan. The school district applied for a Source Water Protection Competitive Grant, made possible by the Clean Water Fund, with the help of MDH and MRWA staff and was awarded $5,875. The district matched that amount to reach the total project funding of $11,750. 

With the efforts by the Esko Public School District and support from MDH and MRWA, the public water system successfully removed the unused fuel oil tank. These combined efforts protected the well to ensure it would continue to supply clean drinking water to the Esko Public Schools students and staff. Additionally, this action helped preserve the quality of the groundwater for the private well users and neighboring communities in the surrounding area.

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