EQC Meeting Date: February 21, 2024
To: Members of the Environmental Quality Commission
From: Justin Wagner, Utilities Manager
Title
Review Water Treatment Plant Renderings and Landscaping
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield Environmental Quality Commission is being asked to provide input on the water treatment plant renderings and landscaping.
Summary Report:
On April 5, 2022 the City Council accepted the Water System Study which recommended the construction of a new Water Treatment Plant. The Water System Study was in response to newly developed health-based standard for manganese for infants under 1 year old to not consume manganese in drinking water above 100 ug/L. Manganese is a naturally occurring mineral in the ground and is in groundwater where the City pumps its water from multiple wells. Three (3) of the five (5) wells that the City has are above the health-based standard for infants. The City currently recommends that infants do not consume the City produced tap water. The treatment plant will make water safe for all to drink at the tap with no further treatment needed.
The City Council followed the Water System Study and approved a contract for design of the new Water Treatment Plant with Bolton and Menk Inc. and BARR Engineering Co. The water treatment plant will be designed to meet current and future regulations by means of gravity filtration and reverse osmosis with a design flow of 6.6 Million Gallons per Day. The gravity filtration will help lower the iron and manganese and the reverse osmosis will protect the City from any future unknown or known contaminants such as PFAS and chlorides. Additionally, the reverse osmosis will soften the drinking water, then the reverse osmosis water will be blended back with gravity filtered water to protect downstream pipes from corrosion while still providing water that is around 90 mg/L of hardness or below the Minnesota Department of Health’s recommended level for additional softening of water in home. The City is recommending that residents remove their in-home water softeners to lower the level of chlorides being discharged to the river.
Since that point, staff and the consultants have been working on the design of the water treatment plant including the plant layout, site plan, building plumbing, landscaping and renderings. Staff will be including in a supplemental memo, the water treatment plant site plan, landscaping concept, interior piping design as well as rendering.
The site plan and concept landscaping plan show the water treatment plant and how it is situated on the site. The landscaping plan is not finalized and staff and consultants will be bringing back a final design with planting varieties in April. The landscaping plan will follow the City’s Climate Action plan goal IN - 3.9 “Increase carbon sequestration through reforestation and enhancement of soil health on public lands through conversion of turf to native plantings and plant species that can tolerate a changing climate.” The landscaping plan will also help minimize staff maintenance on site once the landscaping has established itself. The building will also have rooftop solar maximized to meet the City’s Climate Action Plan (goal IN 3.8 - Identify opportunities for on-site renewable installations) and meeting the public outreach that took place as part of the Water System Study that recommended maximizing rooftop solar while no construction ground mounted solar.
Within the facility, staff and consultants have completed the interior building layout to provide for current needs along with having the building constructed with the ability to expand for future capacity needs. The interior piping shows the complexity of the piping in the water treatment plant along with how water will be processed once constructed.
As part of the design, the Community Development department provided potential development building types for adjacent properties which were included in the renderings to provide future context to the water treatment plant. The renderings will have trees that are between ten and fifteen years old as well as images showing the trees ghosted out to see what the site will look like upon startup of the facility. The renderings will show the water treatment plant from Jefferson Parkway looking north, from the intersection of Jefferson Parkway and Hall Avenue looking east/northeast, from a potential coffee shop in the southeast corner of the property looking northwest, from inside that coffee shop looking the same direction, from the northeast looking southwest and the same rendering with the trees ghosted out. All of the renderings will show future concept housing to provide the building with context similar to that of the view from a potential coffee shop.
With the project, Jefferson Parkway on the south side of the property will be constructed to a Parkway street type based on the City’s Pedestrian, Bike and Trail System Report. A separated bike path and sidewalk will be constructed on the north side of Jefferson Parkway and a sidewalk on the south side of Jefferson Parkway. Additionally, a new north/south roadway will be constructed with this project to Residential Street type based on the City’s Pedestrian, Bike and Trail System Report. Sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the new north/south roadway. Additionally, a new multiuse trail will be constructed on the east side of Hall Avenue adjacent to the project area.
Staff is requesting feedback from the Environmental Quality Commission on the landscaping concept and renderings.
Staff is continuing to look for funding assistance for the construction of the water treatment plant. Currently, the City has applied for Congressional-Directed Spending for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 for the water treatment plant. The FY24 water treatment plant in the FY24 request was for $2,958,750. Staff will be seeking additional funding through Congressional-Directed Spending for both FY25 and FY26 each for $11,064,375. The total request will be for $25,087,500. Currently, Congress has passed a short-term extension to government spending that lasts through early March. Congress is currently negotiating towards a full FY24 Congressional-Directed Spending deal and the City is hopeful that the project will be included in that bill. The City will also be seeking low interest loans through the Drinking Water Revolving Fund. The Water Treatment Plant will be constructed whether or not the City receives funding.
Alternative Action:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
City Council Reviewed of building renderings - February 13, 2024
EQC Reviews Water Treatment Plant Renderings and Landscaping - February 21, 2024
City Council Approve Annexation of Water Treatment Plant Property - March 13, 2024
Council Consider Resolution Approving Public Facility Authority Low Interest Loan
Application - March 13, 2024
Plans submitted to Minnesota Department of Health for Review - March 15, 2024
Review road design, landscaping plan and update on facility - April 2024
Approval of Plans and Specifications and Advertisement for Bid - Late April/Early May 2024
Bid Opening - Early June 2024
Award of Project - June 18, 2024
Construction - July 2024 - 2026
Education to Residents on softening of water and startup of the facility - 2026