Update on Multiple Water Treatment Studies

In November of 2019, City Staff provided a brief update to the Environmental Policy Board (EPB) that there were multiple water supply system studies underway.  Staff noted that in the coming months, the City Engineer offered to attend an EPB meeting to provide further updates and answer any questions the Board may have.  City Engineer Bruce Westby will attend the January EPB meeting to provide an update on the two water system supply studies currently in progress.  Below are high level summaries of the status of both studies.

Northwest Metro Regional Surface Water Supply Feasibility Study

Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH, Inc.) is currently studying the feasibility of constructing and operating a regional surface water supply facility in the Northwest Twin Cities Metropolitan area using the Mississippi River as source water.  The cities of Corcoran, Dayton, Ramsey and Rogers are members of the study team and are leading the study.  The Metropolitan Council is paying for the study using Clean Water Funds.  Completion of this study is anticipated by February 2020.

Analyze Source Water, Develop Water Model, and Prepare Preliminary Design Report for Centralized Water Treatment Facility

SEH, Inc. is; a) analyzing the capacity and water chemistry of the groundwater aquifer the City of Ramsey uses for our municipal water supply system, b) developing a computerized model for our water supply system, and c) preparing a preliminary design report for a centralized water treatment facility.  This work is being driven by a desire to reduce Manganese concentrations in our groundwater supply to meet new Secondary Health Risk Limits for Manganese as mandated by the Minnesota Department of Health in 2019.  Completion of this work is anticipated in May 2020.

No action is necessary.  This is for informational purposes only.