Featured Project Fountain, MN Full MPCA compliance restored For local governments, staying in the good graces of state and federal regulatory agencies is paramount to protecting the environment and the community. The small municipality of Fountain, Minnesota, had unfortunately fallen out of compliance with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and bounced in and out of compliance for 16 years. Key Takeaways Long-Term Regulatory ViolationsThe city’s wastewater systems had bounced in and out of compliance for 16 consecutive years. Need for Operator MentorshipThe city needed an expert to not only fix the plant’s processes but to train their local operator and cover the facility’s certifications. The GoalEnvironmental Water Services would expertly assess the infrastructure, make the necessary repairs, and reestablish compliant operational processes. Seeking to finally resolve these deep-rooted regulatory issues, the city reached out to Environmental Water Services to train their staff and take over certification coverages. Project At a Glance Location Fountain, MN Challenge Develop a long-term strategy to break a 16-year cycle of inconsistency Services Provided Certification coverage & integrated operator training Result Full MPCA compliance restored & local staff trained Scope of Work: Strategic Takeover & Compliance Restoration Fountain chose Environmental Water Services because of their proven track record and their willingness to actively train local employees rather than trap the city into a dependent, long-term contract. Environmental Water Services applied a focused combination of infrastructure assessment, regulatory oversight, and integrated staff training to get Fountain back on track. The team stepped in to evaluate the plant and immediately reestablished the proper operational processes required to meet MPCA standards. Environmental Water Services assumed the role of the Operator in Responsible Charge, managing the required site visits and filing the complex compliance paperwork with the state. While providing certification coverage, they integrated hands-on craft skills and theoretical training into their site visits, allowing the local operator to shadow them daily. A Partner Focused on Local Empowerment Unlike larger corporate outfits that aim to keep cities dependent on their services for decades, Environmental Water Services built its approach around handing control back to the community. For Fountain, that meant pairing expert regulatory oversight with the mentorship needed for the city to eventually run its own systems. Because of word-of-mouth referrals and prior exposure, there is a huge demand for someone to not just take over a city’s infrastructure, but to train and manage their personnel so the city can run its own systems. — Rick Whitney, Founder of Environmental Water Services By combining deep wastewater regulatory knowledge with daily, hands-on oversight, Environmental Water Services gave Fountain’s local operator the practical experience and theoretical instruction required to keep the city compliant long after the engagement. Environmental Water Services restored full MPCA compliance for the City of Fountain, MN. The Result? Full Compliance & Seamless Training Environmental Water Services's deep understanding of wastewater regulations and hands-on mechanical expertise paid off immensely for the City of Fountain. After a 16-year struggle, Environmental Water Services successfully brought the municipality’s water and wastewater systems back under full compliance with the MPCA. Just as importantly, the city’s local staff is now properly trained and equipped to safely manage the community’s assets moving forward — giving Fountain stable, independent operational health for the long term. Frequently Asked Questions How long had Fountain, MN bounced in and out of MPCA compliance? The City of Fountain’s water and wastewater systems had bounced in and out of compliance with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for an astounding 16 consecutive years before Environmental Water Services stepped in to resolve the deep-rooted regulatory issues. How did Environmental Water Services bring Fountain back into compliance? Environmental Water Services evaluated the plant and reestablished the proper operational processes required to meet MPCA standards. The team assumed the role of Operator in Responsible Charge, managing the required site visits and filing the complex compliance paperwork with the state. Did Environmental Water Services train the city’s local staff? Yes. While providing certification coverage, Environmental Water Services integrated hands-on craft skills and theoretical training into their site visits, allowing the local operator to shadow them daily. Fountain’s staff is now properly trained to safely manage the community’s assets moving forward.