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Buffalo Municipal Utilities outlines water source, treatment and testing program
Summary
A staff member for Buffalo Municipal Utilities described the city's water system: wells draw water from a glacial-drift aquifer, treatment removes iron and manganese, rinse water is recycled, and the utility conducts daily and periodic testing to meet Minnesota Department of Health requirements.
A staff member for Buffalo Municipal Utilities described the city's drinking water system, saying Buffalo draws groundwater from a glacial-drift (quaternary) aquifer and pumps it from wells about 370 feet deep to a treatment plant where it is treated, filtered and tested before distribution.
The utility official said raw water first passes through aerators, where air is introduced to prepare the water for filtration. The water then flows by gravity through layered anthracite and sand filters that the staff member said remove 98 to 100 percent of iron and roughly 85 percent of manganese under normal operating conditions.
When the filters collect particles they are cleaned using a backwashing process: air bubbles agitate the sand and anthracite, loosening trapped iron and manganese, and clean water is pumped from the bottom to expand and rinse the media. The utility collects rinse water in a basin, allows solids to settle, decants clear water and returns it to the start of treatment so "little water is wasted in the backwashing process," the staff member said.
After filtration, treated water receives chlorine for disinfection and fluoride and polyphosphate; the staff member said polyphosphate helps sequester residual iron and manganese and coats internal pipe surfaces. High-service pumps then move potable water into the distribution system and into the municipal water tower, which provides pressure and supplies water for firefighting.
The utility samples and tests both well water and finished drinking water daily, with additional monitoring performed monthly, quarterly and annually "as required by the Minnesota Department of Health," the staff member said. The utility also maintains the distribution system—omponents such as mains, hydrants, service lines, meters and valves nd said it uses a proactive infrastructure management approach to save costs and plan for the community's future.
The presentation closed with the utility reaffirming its commitment to protecting Buffalo's water resource through a wellhead management plan and by encouraging conservation through community programs, policies and education. Buffalo Municipal Utilities said it is "proud to serve the Buffalo community" and to protect the city's water for current and future generations.
