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Franklin officials outline $55 million plan to replace buried treatment tanks, seek low‑interest state loan
Summary
City staff described a multi‑year project to replace buried chlorine contact and pump tanks, citing state sanitary survey concerns and a recommended above‑ground solution with ultraviolet disinfection; staff plan to apply for a Safe Drinking Water loan and expect an estimated 6% rate increase after construction.
Mike Sullivan, a project presenter to the Franklin City Utility Board, told the board Wednesday that the city plans a roughly $55 million underground facilities rehabilitation project to address state regulatory concerns and reduce public‑health risk.
The project centers on replacing the existing buried chlorine contact tank and a high‑lift pump wet well — both currently below the groundwater level — with a new above‑ground chlorine contact tank, a new intermediate pump station with ultraviolet disinfection, and a new high‑lift pump station, Sullivan said. He said the city selected “Alternative 2b” after a multi‑decade review of options.
Why it matters: Sullivan said the buried tanks are single points of failure and that groundwater sits higher than tank interior water, which creates an infiltration risk the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources raised in a sanitary survey. “The biggest one is the protection of public health,” Sullivan said when describing the project’s primary justification.
Sullivan reviewed the system history and capacity during the presentation, noting the…
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