BY PAUL STEINHAUSER

We’re all familiar with the White Bear Lake water level issue and concerns regarding sustainability of the lake’s underlying aquifer. We also know that several organizations and many dedicated people are working to identify remedies. Most agree that there is no “quick fix,” but instead a need to approach this challenge from multiple angles.

Race 2 Reduce is a collaboration of MAGI, H2O for Life (a global NGO headquartered in the city of White Bear Lake), the Mahtomedi and White Bear Lake school systems, and the mayors of Birchwood, Mahtomedi, and White Bear Lake. The opinion of the Race 2 Reduce team is that we can and should take immediate action to preserve our groundwater resources by adopting simple water conservation technologies and practices. Doing so will lower the first cost and ongoing operational costs of whatever other solution or solutions are eventually implemented.

Perry Jones, head author of the U.S. Geological Survey’s recent groundwater and surface water interaction study of the White Bear Lake area, has reported that four sensors deployed beneath the bottom of White Bear Lake all show water seeping from the lake into the underlying aquifer, which is being pumped to provide water to area households and businesses. We have established that by installing water-saving technologies and implementing simple water use behavior changes, we can reduce pumping of the aquifer to a rate less than the rate of recharge, addressing a major portion of the problem. We believe this can be done effectively, inexpensively, and starting immediately .

The Race 2 Reduce strategy is to distribute Home H2O Makeover Kits that make it easy for homeowners to substantially and permanently reduce their water use. Our initial focus is Mahtomedi, Birchwood, and the City of White Bear Lake. With measured success we will expand to the other municipalities in the White Bear Lake area that use groundwater for their water supply.

Please join us for a Race 2 Reduce informational meeting at the White Bear Country Inn, Vadnais Room, Friday, Sept. 19, at  7:30am. Feel free to invite others who have an interest in this topic. Coffee, tea, juice, and rolls will be provided. Please RSVP to Paul@Sperorebuilt.com, or call me at 612-282-5319. And thanks for your efforts in seeking a solution to improve the health of our treasured White Bear Lake.

Image courtesy of Tom Raftery (Flickr | Creative Commons)