Water Treatment and Storage Facility

The City of Prior Lake Water Treatment Facility (WTF) has been operational since March 2009, removing iron and manganese from the water system. When run at full capacity, the facility can treat 7.5 million gallons per day. Click: How does it work?

The facility provides garage space for water-related equipment and adds 1.5 million gallons to the City’s water storage system. The facility is connected to all but one of the City’s wells and will help to reduce brown water episodes. Click here for the Notice to Municipal Water Customers flier.

The facility does not soften water. Water hardness is measured by the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water. The facility is removing iron and manganese from the City's water supply; therefore, the hardness will not be reduced. In the most recent Water Quality Report, total hardness was reported at 330 ppm or 19.3 grains/gal. You should continue to use those numbers to set your home softener. However, water softeners typically remove some iron naturally, and since iron is removed at the facility, home water softeners should run more efficiently (less salt used to get the same results).

Above shows recent landscape work (spring '09)

Above backwash waste is discharged from the filters.

This is iron and manganese "sludge" collected during

the filtering process.

The Prior Lake City Council awarded the construction contract to Rice Lake Construction Group of Deerwood, MN on Aug. 6, 2007. Rice Lake was the low bidder on the project at $12,746,500. Construction began in August 2007 with site prep work and excavation. The contractor began pouring concrete in October 2007 and continued through the winter -- nearly 7,000 cubic yards of cast-in-place concrete in the entire facility. Masonry work began in February 2008 and precast concrete work began in April 2008.

Installation of exterior finishes on the facility began in July. This includes brick and rock-face block facade along with the standing-seam metal roof. In August, the contractor began interior finish work, starting with paint. In the fall 2008, City staff began landscaping the project site. The landscaping includes elements that will either filter (somewhat obscure) or screen (block) the building, depending on the viewer’s vantage point. Additional landscaping and the irrigation system were installed in spring '09, after facility construction was complete.

For more information, contact the Prior Lake Public Works Department at (952) 447-9830.