A project aimed at improving water resources could be effective in treating documented E.Coli in one of Ramsey County’s water sources.

The Whitaker Treatment Wetlands project — which was presented to the public at an Aug. 30 open house — is a state-funded initiative attempting to engineer wetlands for water quality improvement. It’s the first of its kind in Minnesota.

The project, in White Bear Township, uses engineered materials to filter excess nutrients, E.coli and other contaminants found in Whitaker Pond water, which then drains into Vadnais Lake, the source of drinking water for St. Paul and the surrounding community.

Funded by the Minnesota Natural Resources Trust Fund, a collaboration with the University of Minnesota will study the project’s impact on E.coli bacteria and harmful pathogens for the next five years.

According to studies provided by Vadnais Lake Area Management Organization, St. Paul Regional Water Services spends roughly $36,000 annually to aerate Vadnais Lake. This reduces phosphorus levels, creating drinkable water.

VLAWMO said a long-term goal of the the Whitaker Treatment Wetlands project is to improve the incoming water quality so that aeration isn’t needed. Staff and engineers predict that the system will be able to function on its own for 25 years.

“It’s not an immediate need for St. Paul Regional Water Services to adjust any processes yet,” VLAWMO Education & Outreach Coordinator Nick Voss said. “We’ll be able to see what material is best and then see if the communities we serve will be interested in investing in what we find.”