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Utilities asks council to fund equipment and treatment upgrades tied to membrane-plant expansion
Summary
Utility staff presented a list of equipment and operational requests — including spare membrane compressors, citric‑acid costs, clear-well cleaning and manhole rehabilitation funding — saying those items are driven by the new membrane treatment plant and by increased daily service requirements.
Utilities staff presented a slimmed, prioritized list of equipment and operational items at the March 26 budget retreat, saying the new membrane treatment plant changes the department’s operating needs.
“Now when we run the membrane plant…there is no pretreatment,” a utilities presenter said, explaining that the change has forced operators to increase chemical dosing and monitoring to protect downstream equipment and maintain water quality. That operational shift has raised consumable and maintenance costs, staff said.
Why it matters: Department leaders told the council that some capital and operating requests are triggered directly by the membrane-plant configuration and by the city’s growth. Among the items highlighted were a spare membrane compressor, a monochloramine analyzer at the point of entry, plate-settler chemical storage, a membrane-plant hoist and funds to clean clear wells that previously could not be taken offline.
Staff also explained that routine sewer basins work — manhole rehabilitation and lateral repairs — plus ongoing investment in interceptors helped reduce sanitary sewer overflows from hundreds per year to a much lower level. The utility presenter said crews now perform repairs on a faster timeline than the city did before 2018.
Cost pressures: Staff said citric-acid usage for membrane cleaning has increased and will be rebid to capture better pricing; they also asked for increased recurring funds for generator maintenance, UV monitoring instruments and for an energy-efficiency contractor to lower power costs for the membrane plant.
What council heard: Council members asked where these items appear in the adopted business plan and how soon the department could execute purchases if council prioritized them. Staff said several items are additions to the adopted six‑year business plan and that several others are accelerations of items already in the plan.
No formal action was taken at the retreat; staff asked for council feedback on priorities and on items to accelerate into the next fiscal year.
