Water Production Slows at City Wells

Water production from the city’s has been way down, less than half than what it was from August 2011 to February.

To blame are three wells which were taken off-line for repairs, reports City Manager Karen Brust in her weekly update. They’re now back up  to speed.

In addition, two well pumps are down, because of vibration issues. They’re waiting materials to complete the repairs and put back into service, Brust wrote in her weekly update.

“To date for the month of April, the [groundwater recovery plant] operated at an average production level of 1.70 million gallons per day, or 5.22 acre feet per day,” the update states. This is less than half of previous months.

The goal for the fiscal year, which ends June 30, is for the city to hit a target of producing 3,800 acre feet.

“For the month of March, the [groundwater recovery plant] has produced over 36.7 percent of the city’s water supply,” the report states.

In the long run, the city hopes the plant will reach its designed production capacity of 5.14 million gallons per day, the update states. To do that, two greensand filter vessels need to be rehabilitated.

This rehabilitation includes the replacement of the greensand media and component parts needed for water treatment, the report states. Currently, the existing greensand filters are limited to 3.8 million gallons per day.

The city received the component parts in March, and completion of the project is expected May 11.