Updates from last week’s Water Utility Board (reports attached at bottom of agenda) meeting including closing Well 3 and increasing chlorine in City water plus the Isthmus article on security all below.
City to Increase Chlorine in Water
City of Madison News Release For Immediate Release: Jun 22, 2007
For More Information Contact:
David Denig-Chakroff, General Manager 608-266-4652
Joseph Grande, Water Quality Manager 608-266-4654
WATER BOARD APPROVES INCREASE IN CHLORINE LEVELS
The Madison Board of Water Commissioners approved a standard operating procedure this week that would slightly raise chlorine levels at Madison wells.
Board Commissioner Dr. Greg Harrington, who helped develop the policy, emphasized that the utility already meets all regulatory standards for chlorine based on public health standards. He said the change was being made to provide a margin of safety, to facilitate system operation, and to prepare for the requirements of a federal groundwater rule the utility must comply with by the end of 2009. Dr. Harrington is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UW-Madison and an authority on disinfection of water distribution systems.
The standard procedure for chlorine levels was developed by a staff team within the utility and reviewed and revised by a team made up of the utility general manager, water quality manager, principal engineer, and a system operator; the city engineer; two outside experts; and three board members, including Public Health Director Dr. Thomas Schlenker.
The current standard at the utility is to maintain a chlorine level of 0.2 mg/L leaving most wells and 0.3 mg/L at other wells in order to maintain a level of 0.1 mg/L everywhere in the distribution system.
Federal and state regulations do not require the utility to chlorinate its drinking water, but requires the distribution system to be free of microbial contaminants and, if the utility does chlorinate, to maintain an annual average level of chlorine in the system below 4.0 mg/L.
The new policy approved by the board requires the utility to maintain chlorine levels leaving all wells as close as possible to 0.3 mg/L and to take action to remove a well from service if chlorine levels go below 0.15 mg/L. The goal remains to maintain levels at or above 0.1 mg/L everywhere in the distribution system. Corrective action would also be taken if chlorine levels leaving a well exceed 0.55 mg/L and a well would be shut down if levels exceed 4.0 mg/L.
Chlorine is typically added to drinking water systems to ensure that microbial organisms, such as bacteria and viruses cannot survive in the water. Utility officials said that some customers might notice an increase in the smell or taste of chlorine in the water when levels are initially raised. The chlorine levels are not a health concern and, in fact, are established to prevent health risk from bacteria and viruses.
The new chlorine levels at the wells will be phased in over the next week. If customers experience a persistent and excessive odor or taste of chlorine in their drinking water, they should call the utility at 266-4654, and it will be investigated.
Well 3 Shut Down
City of Madison News Release
For Immediate Release: Jun 22, 2007
For More Information Contact:
David Denig-Chakroff, General Manager 608-266-4652
Al Larson, WU Principal Engineer 608-266-4653
WATER BOARD APPROVES ABANDONMENT OF WELL NO. 3
The Madison Board of Water Commissioners this week approved the immediate abandonment of Well No. 3 located on the near east side.
The well, which is the oldest well in the water system, has been plagued with problems of iron, manganese and increasing levels of carbon tetrachloride. Water quality issues at the well caused the utility to shut down the well in September 2006 and it has not been operated since then.
Utility officials completed a review of the water supply serving the east side in April in order to determine if their would be sufficient supply to meet emergency demand (fire flow, extreme drought etc.) for the next five years, until a replacement well for Well No. 3 can be located and drilled. The Utility plans to have a replacement well online in 2012.
The analysis showed that there would be sufficient water supply to serve the area without Well No. 3 if the water utility follows through with the 5-year capital improvement plan previously adopted by the Water Board.
Staff asked the Board to approve its recommendation for abandoning Well No. 3 in May, and the Board requested additional information about the specific capital projects in the plan that it needed to commit to in order to ensure that the area could be sufficiently served until a replacement well for Well 3 is constructed.
Principal Engineer Al Larson presented a report to the Board outlining those projects. The report identified $13.9 million of projects through 2011 that would need to be completed in order to maintain assurance of adequate supply until a replacement well is constructed. All of the projects had been planned to be constructed in that timeframe whether Well No. 3 is abandoned or not.
Water Board Commissioner George Meyer emphasized at the meeting that customers need to be aware that there are significant costs to maintaining our water system, and those costs will be reflected in increasing rates over time.
The utility will begin the process of permanently abandoning the well, and hopes to complete the process by the end of the year.
Isthmus Article
Keeping Up Security Appearances
