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Council hears $22.3 million all‑in estimate, schedule for new Minnetrista water treatment plant
Summary
City engineering and consultants told the Minnetrista City Council the proposed water treatment plant will likely cost about $19 million to construct and roughly $22.3 million all‑in; staff plans to finalize 100% plans in June, advertise late June, open bids late July and begin construction this August with completion expected in fall 2027.
The Minnetrista City Council on June 2 received a detailed design, cost and schedule update for the city’s planned water treatment plant.
Aaron Vulmer, the project presenter, showed interior and exterior renderings, explained process flow (filters, reclaimed tanks, clear well, aeration), and outlined redundancy and capacity. He said the filters are sized so that if one is taken offline for backwash the remaining three can treat about 2,100 gallons per minute and the pumps are sized at roughly 2,800 gallons per minute to meet distribution needs.
Vulmer addressed technical questions about iron and manganese treatment and disposal, saying the settled material remains liquid and “we kind of accumulates over time and then we pump that out into the sanitary sewer.” He also noted required chemical rooms for disinfection and for fluoride and polyphosphate dosing; on fluoride he said the city is installing it “per state and federal regulations” and can stop dosing if regulations change.
The presentation emphasized site orientation and neighborhood buffering. Vulmer noted a berm and transplanted trees are planned to shield Woodland Cove homes and confirmed there will be secure perimeter fencing with swing gates for controlled access. He estimated generator noise at about 70 dB when running, comparable to nearby truck traffic off Highway 7.
On cost, Vulmer reported a wide variance in contractor takeoffs: Magny Construction’s bids ranged about $12.7–$14 million while Rice Lake’s estimate was roughly $24 million, creating what he described as a “$10 million gap.” Based on current design work he said his working construction estimate is “somewhere in the $19 million range” and that the total project cost — including contingencies, SCADA integration (about $500,000) and other integration items — is about $22.3 million. “So yeah, 22.3 million is our total project cost estimate,” he told the council.
Vulmer recommended carrying a modest construction contingency (about 2.5–3%) and said the design contingency has been reduced as the plans matured. He also flagged additional tasks not included in the plant bid that could add cost later: decommissioning existing wells and a potential future pipeline along Highway 7 if additional development or commercial demand warrants it.
Schedule items front‑loaded on the near term: finalize design and plans by the end of June, return to council on June 16 for permission to advertise, advertise at the end of June, open bids at the end of July, and — if bids align with expectations — award and begin early construction in August. Vulmer said construction is expected to take about two years, with an anticipated finish in fall 2027.
Council members pressed briefly on the bid variance and schedule; the mayor confirmed the council will consider a formal request to advertise at the next meeting. The update closed with staff recommending the council authorize advertising once the final plans are complete.
The council did not take a formal vote on the plant itself at the June 2 meeting; the next procedural step is a staff recommendation to advertise the project for bids.
