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Council weighs water complaints and infrastructure grants, approves pilot chip-seal on Washington Street
Summary
City staff reported that drinking-water chlorine levels remained below maximums, outlined sewer and water grant applications including a $10 million water-supply request and a $215,000 Resilient Communities grant, and the council approved a double chip-seal pilot for Washington Street while staff ordered auto-flushers to test short-term water quality solutions.
City staff told the council that current drinking-water test results show no unsafe bacteria levels and that routine monthly testing is performed from five registered locations; the system typically runs about 1.5 mg/L of free chlorine, below the 4.0 mg/L maximum.
"The maximum chlorine that you can have is 4.0. Ours usually runs about 1.5. We had electrical issues in one of the switches... it never got above two," Public Works staff said, explaining a temporary elevation of chlorine tied to a pump control issue.
Staff updated the council on active water and sewer projects: sewer infrastructure work with SVI and J Constructions is roughly 85% complete, and the city is pursuing several funding avenues. The original water-supply infrastructure grant application was described as a $5 million request that has since been increased to $10 million; staff also said they plan to apply to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for wastewater improvements. The council also heard that the city received a $215,000 Resilient Communities grant for planning and studies of population, housing and infrastructure.
To address recurring low-flow and taste complaints now, staff said they ordered two mobile automatic flushers and two stationary units for trial installations to collect data at dead ends and weak flow areas. The council discussed using roughly $57,000 in remaining street-repair funds for either chip-seal projects or to address water-system needs in the short term. Council approved a pilot double chip-seal for Washington Street using the available funds and asked staff to gather further data on water complaints and to test the auto-flusher equipment.
Why it matters: Residents have reported taste and low-flow problems. The council’s decisions balance short-term operational fixes and pilot street work with longer-term capital plans that depend on grant awards and environmental reviews. Staff cautioned that grant-funded projects may not move to construction until many months after award due to engineering and environmental steps.
Next steps: Staff will monitor the mobile auto-flushers, gather address-level complaint data, pursue the $10 million water-supply grant and state revolving funds, and proceed with the agreed Washington Street chip-seal pilot.
