Star Tribune presents both sides of impaired water dilemma

Sunday's Star Tribune provided an in-depth look at the dilemmas facing Minnesota in cleaning up our polluted waters. Reporter Tom Meersman interviewed both environmentalists, MPCA and cities about clean water and development issues. Assistant MPCA commissioner Lisa Thorvig also contributed comments:

The Clean Water Act does not require that water be drinkable, but that it be swimmable and fishable. Lisa Thorvig, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's assistant commissioner for water policy, said that about two of every five lakes and rivers checked so far have failed that test.

The story's really about pollution from wastewater plants, but there are some parallels with stormwater--new developments add impervious surfaces which channel dirty stormwater into lakes.