6.1j ERMUSR 02-09-2021______________________________________________________________________________
Page 1 of 2
UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:
ERMU Commission
FROM:
Dave Ninow – Water Superintendent
MEETING DATE:
February 9, 2021
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
6.1j
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
None
DISCUSSION:
• Delivered eleven new water meters.
• Sealed the water meter, installed an encoder receiver transmitter, and took curb stop
ties from eleven water services.
• Completed 15 BACTI/Total Chlorine Residual Samples
o All confirmed negative for Coliform Bacteria
o Bacteriological/Disinfectant Residual Monthly Report submitted to the MDH
• Completed 21 routine fluoride samples
o All samples met MDH standards
o Submitted MDH Fluoride Report
• Submitted Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) to the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA) for the Water Treatment Plants.
• Submitted DMR to the MPCA for the Diesel Generation Plant.
• On January 30, we received a report of water boiling out of the ground on the west side
of Jackson Avenue, north of School Street. Utility staff was able to shut off the ten-inch
water main and excavate to find a radial crack in the pipe. Rental of a larger excavator
was needed due to the depth of the water main; repair of the leak was done in house by
utility staff.
• During our routine annual inspections of the iron and manganese filter at water
treatment plant #4 the water operators found that the filter media was uneven,
indicating an issue with backwashing. They also witnessed that there were some small
“mud balls” (clumps of media, iron, and manganese) on top of the filter media. We have
added a high strength chlorine solution to the filter and are running a series of air
washes and backwashes to break up the clumps. Filter media will need to be added to
replenish what was lost due to backwashing. The water plant control programing will be
modified to fix issues with the backwash sequence.
• The diaphragm pump that feeds sodium permanganate failed at water treatment plant
#6. We have replaced it with a new peristaltic chemical feed pump which will be more
accurate and reliable.
131
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 2 of 2
• Installation of the water main for a future municipal well was included in the plans for
Fire Station #3. ERMU’s cost for this portion of the project will be $60,130. This will
come from the $500,000 in the water main construction capital budget.
• Water department staff continues to work on plans for relocating water main that
MnDOT has identified as conflicting with the Highway 169 Redefine project.
• The water operators have continued to work on the annual preventative maintenance
of our water treatment plants.
ATTACHMENTS:
• January 2021 Pumping by Well
• Photos – Water Main Break - Jackson Avenue
132
Values Are Displayed in Millions of Gallons (Well #, Gallons Pumped, Percentage of Pumping)
Well #2, 8.382, 20%
Well #3, 11.361, 27%
Well #4, 2.033, 5%
Well #5, 4.782, 12%
Well #6, 1.194, 3%
Well #7, 4.53, 11%
Well #8, 4.741, 11%
Well #9, 4.741, 11%
January 2021 Monthly Pumping By Well
133
Photos—Water Main Break—Jackson Avenue
134