Be a Hydrant Hero

The St. Louis Park Fire Department asks homeowners and businesses with fire hydrants on or near their property to shovel the snow around the fire hydrant after each snowfall.

Visit www.hydranthero.org to adopt a hydrant. Choose a hydrant, click on the “Adopt me” link and fill out the registration form – you can even give your hydrant a name! Call 952.924.2171 for more information.

Join the St. Louis Park Police Explorer and Reserve programs

Explorer program

The St. Louis Park Police Explorers volunteer program offers youth ages 14 to 21 a chance to learn firsthand the duties and responsibilities of police officers. Explorers meet every Tuesday evening throughout the year to participate in role playing, class study and social exercises related to a career in law enforcement. Explorers also volunteer at local community events with the police officers. If you or someone you know is interested in attending a meeting or learning more about becoming an explorer, contact Officer Caroline Bjorge at cbjorge@stlouisparkmn.gov or Officer Madeline Turnquist at mturnquist@stlouisparkmn.gov.

Reserves

The St. Louis Park Police Department Reserves unit is made up of 15 – 25 volunteers who range in age from 20 to over 60. Every year, they donate roughly 1,000 hours of volunteer services to assist with night patrols and city events, including the Fourth of July festival, National Night Out, school carnivals, D.A.R.E. graduations and more. If you are interested in applying or would like more information about the program, contact Officer Thomas Martinez at tmartinez@stlouisparkmn.gov.

Emerald ash borer inspections underway

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is now widespread in St. Louis Park. City staff trained as Minnesota tree inspectors will be out this winter and early spring marking ash trees infested with EAB for removal. By city ordinance, the city marks both public and private trees that need to be removed. Trees with EAB are typically identified by light-colored patches of damaged bark left by woodpeckers eating EAB larvae. Healthy or lightly infested trees can be protected from EAB with injections. Rainbow Treecare provides injections at a reduced rate for St. Louis Park residents. Visit www.stlouisparkmn.gov/eab for more information.

Annual tree sale orders start March 1

Help increase our city’s tree canopy by adding trees to your landscape! Starting March 1, visit www.treetrust.org to order and pay for your trees as part of the city’s annual tree sale. Trees are $35 each; a maximum of three trees per property may be purchased. Preview of this year’s available trees will begin mid-February.

Tree sale pickup will be Saturday, May 6, from 8 a.m. – noon or Monday, May 8, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Municipal Service Center, 7305 Oxford St.

Need a new tree but not ready to plant it yourself? You are in luck! The city now offers a full-service tree sale option where the city covers a portion of the planting costs. Total cost can be as low as $35 depending on your location in the city. The cost share amount is higher for those who have had an ash tree removed due to emerald ash borer. Visit treecanopyslp.myshopify.com to find out more and reserve your tree today!

Don’t flush wipes! Change your clock, change your batteries

Did you know that disposable wipes are not flushable? Don’t flush disposable wipes of any kind down the toilet, even if they claim to be “flushable” or safe for toilets. The only items that should be flushed down a toilet are human waste and toilet paper. Disposable wipes don’t break down like toilet paper and will cause sewer backups in your private sewer service and/or city sewer mains, requiring costly and time-consuming repairs.

Highway 100/County Road 3

Groundwater Plume update

In November, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the community involvement plan for the Highway 100/County Road 3 Groundwater Plume site in St. Louis Park and Edina, based on community interviews that took place in August 2022. The EPA plans to host an information session in early 2023 for those interested in forming a community advisory group.

Background

In 2020, the EPA added the Highway 100/County Road 3 Groundwater Plume site in St. Louis Park and Edina to its Superfund program. The City of St. Louis Park remains in full support of this action to ensure the ongoing health and safety of residents and that those who caused the contamination are held responsible. Since the early 2000s, the City of St. Louis Park has been working successfully with the EPA and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to ensure the safety of the city’s drinking water and to protect residents from any adverse effects of this contamination. Visit bit.ly/Hwy100-CR3plume for more information.

Citywide hydrant flushing starts May 7

City crews are scheduled to flush the watermains in St. Louis Park starting Sunday, May 7, weather permitting. Flushing hours will mainly be from 8 p.m. – 6 a.m. and should be complete by Friday, May 12.

Watermain flushing is done each spring to loosen normal mineral buildup inside underground watermains. Crews flush the watermains by opening fire hydrants, so don’t be alarmed if you see water gushing from hydrants while a city truck is nearby.

The flushing process will take five days to complete citywide. Any one neighborhood or area won’t be affected for the entire week. Once a watermain is flushed, city crews will move to the next one. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to specify exact dates and times crews will be in specific neighborhoods, which is why the five-day window is published. Residents can check to see if watermains have been flushed in their neighborhood by visiting bit.ly/WMflushing to view a map.

While water has improved color and taste after watermain flushing, the process can temporarily discolor water due to loose iron particles. Iron naturally occurs in groundwater and isn’t harmful to your health. If you experience discolored water, take the following precautions.

• Turn your water softener off or set it to “bypass” for the time period watermain flushing is scheduled.