Thursday, April 2, 2026

Opportunities to Reuse Waste and Protect Water

Presented on March 26, 2026 as part of our Lakeside Chat series, Opportunities to Reuse Waste and Protect Water, brought together government staff and practitioners.
What do waste and water have to do with each other? More than you would think! Managing waste and promoting reuse are key strategies for protecting water resources and building sustainable communities. Improper disposal of materials -from construction, demolition, and everyday living - can impact water quality, create pollution, and strain local systems that manage waste and water. This webinar explores practical solutions that communities can implement to reduce waste, recover materials, and support water-friendly practices.
  • Melissa Wenzel, Built Environment Sustainability Administrator, MPCA
  • Sandy Gunderson, Community Sustainability Consultant, MPCA/MN GreenStep Cities
Recording:

Presentations: 


Connections to GreenStep Best Practices: 

  • BPA 5.1 - Adopt historic preservation ordinance/regulations and encourage adaptive reuse.

  • BPA 19.2 - Conduct or support multi-party community conversations, assessments, plans and actions around improving local water quality and quantity.

  • BPA 22.1 - Improve city operations and procurement to prevent, reuse, recycle, and compost waste from public facilities and minimize toxics and hazardous waste.

  • BPA 22.2 - Address concerns over consumer products and packaging.

  • BPA 22.4 - Publicize, promote, and use businesses/services collecting and marketing used, repaired, or rental consumer goods, especially electronics, locally.

  • BPA 22.8 - Adopt a construction and demolition (C&D) ordinance for demolition permits requiring recycling and reuse of building materials and soil/land-clearing debris.

  • BPA 24.4 - Conduct or support sustainability education and action, building on existing relationships, networks & events.

  • BPA 25.4 - Strengthen businesses utilizing local "waste" material.


Resources: 
Register for upcoming GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations workshops here. You do not need to be a GreenStep community to attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.
at No comments:

Monday, March 23, 2026

City to City Conversation on Pollinators

On March 12, 2026, The City to City Conversation on Pollinators workshop had the purpose of bringing together city officials, staff, and volunteers who wanted to learn about how to help pollinators and take steps to make their city more pollinator friendly. This webinar was not recorded, so that participants could feel free to converse with each other openly. 


Presentations: 

    • GreenStep Cities Program – Kristin Mroz, GreenStep Cities Program Co-Director
    • Bee City USA Program – Laura Rost, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, National Coordinator, Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA
    • Red Wing City experience – Kirsten Wert, City of Red Wing, Sustainability Commissioner
    • Vadnais Heights City experience – Erin Spry, City of Vadnais Heights, Natural Resource Specialist
Resources: 
Register for upcoming GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations workshops here. You do not need to be a GreenStep community to attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.
at No comments:

Monday, March 2, 2026

Data Centers and Local Considerations

We had 116 people join our February 26, 2026 "Lakeside Chat: Data Centers and Local Considerations" webinar! Please find the video recording, slides, and links below. 

In 2025, the Minnesota legislature adopted new state-level regulations for proposed data center developments. These facilities can bring jobs and investment and also raise questions around water use, energy, noise, land use, and city planning. This webinar dug deeper into regulations, decision making, and questions cities might consider when a data center is proposed in their community. Content included information from the following speakers: 

Catherine Neuschler, Environmental Quality Board Director will provide an overview of the outcomes of the last state legislative session. She will also cover what Environmental Review is and when it can be used.

James Kramvik, City of Brainerd Community Development Director will share details about cryptocurrency mining and why the city of Brainerd adopted a data center ordinance.

Elise Harrington, University of Minnesota Humphrey School Assistant Professor is conducting research about local data center decision making. She will share examples of what other communities in other states have considered in regards to decision making, ordinances, and other tools used. The examples she will share are from other states and the future of this project as a resource for Minnesota communities.

Webinar Recording

Presentation Slides



Tools and Resources

Best Practice Actions related to this topic: 

  • BPA 3.3 (green building policy for private buildings)
  • BPA 3.4 (incentives for private green buildings)
  • BPA 6.5 (climate and energy planning/goals) 
  • BPA 10.2 (build-out analysis)
  • BPA 10.4 (conservation design policy)
  • BPA 10.7 (wildlife protection)
  • BPA 20.6 (water conservation/reuse for private operations)
  • BPA 23.3 (air emissions from back-up generators)
  • BPA 25.4 (utilizing business "waste" material)
  • BPA 26.6 (private sector-owned renewable energy)
  • BPA 28.3 (sustainable business/industrial park)
Register for upcoming GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations workshops here. You do not need to be a GreenStep community to attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.
at No comments:

Friday, February 6, 2026

Step 4 & Step 5 Reporting Overview

We had over 40 people join our January 21, 2026 Step 4 and Step 5 overview webinar! Please find the video recording, slides, and links below. Happy reporting :)

  • GreenStep Steps 4 & 5 webpage
  • Learn more about the different reporting options to reach Step 4 and Step 5 in our interactive course! 
  • Be sure to check if you Community Category (A, B, or C) is still the same using the new Calculator. 
  • REMINDER: April 1 is the submission deadline for 2026 awards. 

  • Ready to submit your Step 4 and Step 5 documentation to the GreenStep program? Fill out this Submission Form to provide the necessary details to staff.

Looking for help? 

at No comments:

Monday, January 12, 2026

MnTAP Wastewater Optimization Opportunities

In this virtual webinar, presented live on January 7, 2026, GreenStep Cities & Tribal Nations hosted a 'Lakeside' Coffee Chat to learn about the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), a no-cost, non-regulatory team that provides pollution prevention and process efficiency assistance to industrial manufacturers and municipalities throughout Minnesota. Learn the basics of wastewater treatment and the strategies these sites can use to save energy and reduce nutrient pollution and listen to some case studies from last summer highlighting water and fuel savings through the MnTAP intern program!

Summary: 

Jon Vanyo, Senior Engineer with the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program, provided an overview of wastewater optimization and MnTAP’s pollution prevention approach. He introduced MnTAP’s role in offering free, non-regulatory technical assistance to help Minnesota facilities improve efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and meet compliance goals.
 
Jon walked through the key stages of wastewater treatment including screening, clarification, aeration, and disinfection. He highlighted how biological processes and microbial management are essential to effective treatment and shares strategies for reducing energy consumption, including optimizing aeration systems and using variable frequency drives to better match oxygen supply with microbial needs. The session also covered nutrient removal techniques, comparing chemical treatment methods with biological nutrient removal (BNR), which uses specialized microbes under controlled conditions to remove nitrogen and phosphorus more efficiently.
 
Finally, Jon highlighted MnTAP’s intern program, which places students in real-world projects across industries and municipalities. He shared examples of successful intern-led projects that achieved significant water and energy savings, and emphasized the importance of collaboration between communities, businesses, and MnTAP to advance pollution prevention and resource efficiency.

View the workshop recording: 


View the slides and additional materials:


Additional resources

  • MnTAP website
    • Focus Area: Water Stewardship
    • Intern Program - Full-time junior or senior college students with strong technical backgrounds and leadership abilities work on waste and energy reduction projects at companies across Minnesota.
  • Minnesota Rural Water Association - A non-profit association staffed with full-time personnel trained to offer professional on-site technical assistance and training to water and wastewater system personnel in managerial, financial, and operation and maintenance of systems, as well as source water protection.
  • American Water Works Association - AWWA is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the world’s most important resource. AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life.

Connection to GreenStep Best Practice Actions: 

💧2.4. Describe energy/water efficiency outcomes and other green building practices at businesses and not-for-profit organizations located within/nearby the city.
💧20.2. Plan and budget for motor maintenance and upgrades to assure the most energy efficient, durable and appropriate equipment is available when upgrades or breakdowns occur.
💧20.4. Optimize energy and chemical use at drinking water/wastewater facilities and decrease chloride in wastewater discharges.
💧20.6. Implement a wastewater plant efficiency project (co-generation, water reuse) or a program for local private business operations (water conservation, water reuse, business co-location).
💧21.7. Arrange for assistance to commercial, retail and industrial businesses with water use reduction, pollution prevention and pretreatment prior to discharge to septics.
💧25.2. Create or participate in a marketing/outreach program to connect businesses with assistance providers, including utilities, who provide personalized energy, waste or sustainability audits and assistance.
💧25.4. Strengthen value-added businesses utilizing local "waste" material.
💧28.2. Document that at least one business/building uses waste heat or water discharge from another business or conducts materials exchange activities with another organization.


Find additional news and opportunities, including more webinars! You do not need to be a GreenStep community to access or attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.
at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)