MERCURY REDUCTION 

The City of Albany is obligated to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to attempt to minimize the wastewater treatment plant output of elemental Mercury.

Employees at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant work very hard to reduce Mercury as we add chemical treatment to the Ponds before discharge. This treatment reduces the solids in the wastewater, and along with those solids, reduces Mercury.

The City’s next effort focuses on helping our residents and area businesses to recycle all mercury containing products.

Elemental mercury is generally present by accident: for example- breaking of mercury thermometers, blood pressure equipment, or fluorescent lights. Dental mercury that is not trapped at the Dentist office may be present. Breaking of mercury based thermostats may introduce this to our environment.

Our goal is reduction. The Wastewater Treatment Plant employees have been monitoring wastewater concentrations of these elements for some years, now. Everyone’s help is needed to accomplish as much reduction as possible. Your action will help our environment, and possibly reduce future costs for our municipal system, and each of you who support it through user fees. 

Mercury:

1. Replace equipment if you can.

1. Recycle- take mercury based equipment, light bulbs, unused chemicals, and mercury thermometers, to the Stearns County Household Hazardous Waste Facility in Waite Park.

Residents: Take all your mercury containing items: Fluorescent Lights of all types, mercury thermometers, thermostats, other items- At No Charge – to the Facility located at 3601 5th Street South, Waite Park, Minnesota 56387

Businesses: May bring fluorescent lights to the collection center for a small ($0.50- $0.75 ea.) fee. Albany Recycling Center will accept fluorescent lights from residents at a small cost of $0.65-$0.75 each for bulbs four feet long and smaller.

Albany Recycling Center

34646 225th Avenue

Albany, Minnesota 56307

Please help us improve water quality through: replacement (mercury containing items), reduction, and recycling.

City Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent:

Joe Mergen, Public Works Supervisor