Lt. Gov. Smith Tours Water System With Southern Minnesota Town's Mayor

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The lieutenant governor says the water supply in Minnesota needs a major makeover. Tina Smith, along with Gov. Dayton, want $220 million for the project.

Smith made her pitch in a unique way Tuesday, going underground into a lift center in Dennison, Minnesota about an hour south of the cities.

Flint is a fueling factor in the conversation. Americans have seen over the past few months what devastating effects a water infrastructure crisis can have on people as we watch the situation in Michigan unfold. The lieutenant governor wants more money for water, and her partner in this fight is a small town handyman.

Jeff Flaten is intimately familiar with the wastewater lift station. Just ask his girlfriend, Julie Evenson.

"The first time I saw him go down there, I was concerned," she said. "I was like 'Oh no! Are you sure you want to do that?'"

He's not exactly trained -- he's the mayor of Dennison, which has around 170 residents. When the only sewer worker quit, the mayor began voluntarily checking the town's water supply every day. He's been doing it since early 2015.

"When I started this, I thought it was my responsibility to maintain things, to keep things going, but it's kind of grown into a bigger thing," Flaten said.

Lt. Gov. Smith thinks it's a bigger thing, too. She made her first-ever trip to the town to tour the 1962 system the mayor oversees himself. She shadowed Flaten on a daily reading, about 15 feet below ground. She says the mayor's need for a water system makeover is echoed all around the state.

"The fundamental deal we have with the public is that our drinking water is clean and safe, and that's all that Mayor Flaten is trying to get done here," she said. "And that's why the governor and I have put major resources into his bonding bill to help communities like Dennison make these improvements."

Mayor Flaten says he was also troubled by the crisis in Flint.

Mayor Flaten said, "The situation in Flint Michigan we don't ever want to see that kind of thing in the state of Minnesota so I'll push legislators to give as much bond money sent out to communities like mine as possible." The Lt. Governor is hoping lawmakers this session- will back her perspective, case closed.

For perspective here, Dennison has a town budget of 105 thousand dollars, these fixes would cost over 200 thousand.

They say they need help now from the state -- we'll see soon if lawmakers agree.