We had some complaints of yellow colored water last week. It turned out it was because of an iron level around 0.1 milligrams per liter.”

Jon Strand of CBS Squared

The Northwest Water Treatment Plant has been largely shut down in Stanley since Sept. 11, several maintenance needs outlined in the bimonthly report by Jon Strand of CBS Squared.
Strand oversees the system as a whole and makes reports to the DNR, with different city employees overseeing the system on a day to day basis.
“Northwest Plant mostly offline since Sept. 11 due to malfunctions with the ozone equipment system,” Strand wrote, going into more detail further down his report.
“Equipment issue with ozone treatment system. Ingersoll Rand sent technician to site with new belt and hose. Ozone system still had problems with air purity values. Pinnacle sent technician to site Sept. 24 and it was determined that the air dryer was malfunctioning. Pinnacle ordered a new air dryer under the air compressor warranty which should be installed in the next week.
Also reported by Strand for the Northwest Water Treatment Plant was installation of a door lock striker plate by Tru Lock, with valve issues noted as well.
“Actuated valves are not opening or closing as needed,” Strand wrote. “Water is present in all the lines. New air line water collection valves ordered. Air dryer for air compressor supply valve actuators will be needed.” Strand wrote that the meters and piping for wells 5 and 7 were installed, with a wait on bacti testing.
“Those wells are still offline,” he said, with plans to have them tested this week. The plant has been pumping water since last Friday.
Also in reports, door painting continues at the Northwest Plant, with fan installation planed for ozone room temperature when parts are available.
Other work planned for the Northwest Water Treatment Plant includes fixing injectors and cleaning the north UTS in the next few months, rehabilitation of one UTS system and then rehab of the scone. Rehab of all plant valves and work related to chemical cleaning related to the Reverse Osmosis system is also planned. Strand also reported that Xcel Energy had installed a monitoring device to track power surges at the Northwest Plant
As for the Central Water Treatment Plant, several items were included in the bimonthly update by Strand.
“Normal Central Plant operation and maintenance, water quality issues, water meter replacements and water service shutoffs/turn ons,” Strand said for the short list.
Asked about “water quality issues” via phone, Strand elaborated.
“We had some complaints of yellow colored water last week,” he said. “It turned out it was because of an iron level around 0.1 milligrams per liter.”
Strand said that levels were down from previously.
“That level is back down to the 0.04 range,” he said for iron. “Iron is an aesthetic concern, not a health concern.” Strand said that manganese (another mineral) could be a health concern at high levels but that levels as he had seen them were lower.
“Manganese can be a health concern at higher levels, but the water quality levels that I’ve seen have been below on manganese,” he said, saying this often showed up as black specs.
Asked on effects of sodium hydroxide, meanwhile, Strand said it would not impact water safety, being separate from chlorine. The report had indicated that a chlorine injector needed cleaning, with Strand saying he was keeping an eye on chlorine levels but that nothing was troubling. The city also does a bacteria test each week for drinking water safety.
“The water is tested quite often,” Strand said.
Also reported by Strand for the Central Water Treatment Plant were DNR permit approvals for discharge pond construction next to a wetland/waterway, a reconstruction meeting on the new Central Water Treatment Plant Sept. 22, asbestos abatement award to Robison Brothers Environmental as low bidder, floodplain detailed analysis in process, and the need to update Potassium permanganate pumps, with Strand submitting replacement pumps to WDNR Plan Review for approval. As for work planned at the Central Plant, Strand wrote that a floor water leak monitoring device “will be better positioned to detect pipe leaks.”
As for more general items in work planned for the water department, tasks listed by Strand included normal plant operation and maintenance, responding to customer questions and documenting water quality, and compliance testing. Strand further noted the adding of additional items to the operation and maintenance schedule spreadsheet, weekend operators checklist to be revised “as new changes come up,” Diggers Hotline locate, residential meter replacements, work on meter problems that come up, and well 10 clean check valve at well house, as well as staging up the dehumidifier and a new filter.