City water plant moves to Phase 3 of improvements
GRAFTON – Representatives from AE2S Engineering of Grand Forks presented a Treatment Technology Evaluation of the Grafton Water Treatment Plant improvement plan to the Public Utilities Committee at its meeting January 7.
Phases 1 and 2, which have been completed, included updates to the pretreatment basin area including chemical feed improvements, and a new softening basin including chemical feed improvements in that area also. The cost of Phase 1 was $1,268,000 which included a local share of $570,000. The cost of Phase 2 was $1,219,000 with a local share of $548,550.
The Phase 3 plan will include filtration improvements and backwash and residuals management improvements. It also includes improvements in the control room, lab and break room; locker rooms; chlorine room; and entrance to the plant itself.
Phase 3 has an estimated cost of $7,230,000 with a local share of $2,603,825 and a $2,022,359 federal share. City officials are hoping the state will pick up the remaining $2,603,825. As it stands now, the State Water Commission and the governor have included $500,000,000 in the proposed budget for water improvements within the state. Grafton’s request for the state share of their project is included in that budget.
AE2S felt it was necessary to do the evaluation due to recent challenges including increases in the salinity of the water as a result of the Devils Lake outlet; changes in the regional picture based on what cities upstream are doing; potential advanced disinfection and potential emerging contaminants. Included in the evaluation were two possible alternatives to the current Phase 3 plan including an ozone treatment option and a membrane treatment option. The cost for the ozone option would be $11,120,000 while the membrane treatment option would be $11,960,000. AE2S concluded that the costs of either option would be excessive and that the benefits would not justify the additional costs. Additionally, the membrane option would require more extensive training of staff and would require more man hours.
The Public Utilities Committee agreed to follow the AE2S recommendation to follow the initial Phase 3 plans. The project will move forward beginning with a review of the plan with plant officials and prioritizing the list of improvements. Final design and bidding will begin in March through September with construction scheduled to begin in October 2013, depending on state funding.