What is improved drinking water quality?
Drinking water quality can be improved by removing elements from the water such as iron, manganese, hardness, and total dissolved solids. This leads to several benefits: better tasting water, improved color and smell, and reduced need for filters or salt in homes.
A base treatment plant would remove iron and manganese. This helps users save on iron filters and reduces or eliminates red water complaints and water staining of fixtures.
Reverse osmosis (RO) provides the added benefit of removing hardness and dissolved solids which would reduce salt cost and even potentially allow for the removal of in-home softeners.
What would this cost?
The total project cost is estimated to be $8-9M, depending on final design decisions and construction inflation. About $1-2M of that is for the new well and $7-8M for the water treatment plant.
How would the City pay for it?
The City has applied for funding through the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program. SRF provides low interest loans for drinking water and wastewater projects. Local funding may also be used, but water rates would have to increase.
Based on this information, please take the three minute survey below to provide your feedback on how you'd like to see the City proceed with this project.