Review of Design Concepts for the New Water Treatment Plant

Purpose:
Staff and representatives from AE2S and Oertel Architects will be in attendance to review concept plans for the new water treatment plant proposed for the City of Ramsey. 
Background:
The plant is designed to remove iron and manganese from our municipal drinking water, with a capacity to treat up to ten million gallons per day. Iron and manganese are both naturally occurring minerals found in ground water wells.  Iron is responsible for the discoloration you notice on sidewalks, buildings signs, etc. Though iron is safe to drink it has a impact on everything it comes in contact with. 
 Manganese is also present in our municipal drinking water supply and has been since we began our municipal water system back in the mid 1980’s. Manganese has long been considered a nuisance in drinking water for its discoloration properties until recently, when the Minnesota Department of Health  determined that levels over 100 parts per billion could present a health risk for bottle fed infants under one year of age.
 

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 The treatment plant will be located on the north end of the Public Works Campus located near the intersection of Jaspar St and 143rd Ave. With the construction of the water treatment plant the city will realize several efficiencies in our PW operations.  Currently our only method of iron/manganese removal is through water main flushing. This process requires the utilities department to open every hydrant in the city and run millions of gallons of water to waste in an attempt to remove sediment from the bottom of the water main that has settled over time.  This process in performed spring and fall and requires 3-4 people, 4 to 5 weeks per event.  We estimate we run 6 million gallons of water to waste with each flushing event.  To put that into perspective, we have three water towers with a combined capacity of four million gallons. Iron and manganese also collect in our water meters causing them to wear out prematurely.  Rusty water complaints from residents is also a concern. In 2021 we received 48 calls from residents complaining about  rusty colored drinking water, stained clothing, bathroom fixtures stained, etc.  Some times these calls are the result of someone opening a hydrant in a neighborhood, such as the fire department or contractor illegally taking water.  Other times its just a random piece of sediment that breaks loose and starts moving through the water system.  All of these situations will be eliminated or greatly reduced once the treatment plant comes online.

Utility Fund

Informational only

Based on committee discussion