Water Treatment Plant Replacement
The most essential service that a municipality provides residents is safe drinking water. In the future, access to clean and safe water will be a factor in defining a city’s quality of life and property values. Western States are having difficulty securing water access. Statewide, municipalities are dealing with aging water infrastructure. Minnetonka Beach is no exception.
Today the city’s water treatment plant continues to provide safe drinking water to residents. The 1958 built plant was evaluated by Stantec, the city’s zoning and engineering services provider. Stantec prepared a Condition Evaluation Report in December of 2019. The Minnesota Department of Health re-inspected in 2021. Both reports identified that many of the plant’s components have exceeded their expected useful life and require costly replacement in the near future.
During the last three years, Council, Public Works, and the Finance Committee have done the heavy lifting of researching and evaluating construction costs and financing options including State funding. After much public discussion, due diligence, and recommendations from Public Works Superintendent Jason Hilgers and Stantec, Council made the decision that the best option for protecting the short- and long-term safety of our water was to replace the now 65-year-old water treatment plant. With proper maintenance, a new water treatment plant will have a shelf life of six to eight decades.
Accordingly, Council took action in December of 2022, and authorized the engineering design services for a new water treatment plant located on the Public Works Site. Construction is projected to begin 2024 and be completed in 2025.
The city is actively pursuing both State and Federal funding assistance. State Representative and former Minnetonka Beach resident Andrew Myers has introduced first step legislation, HF1087, that would provide funding assistance for the new water treatment plant. He also pointed out that competition for those funds is intense. Cities will have five minutes to present their case to the State’s Capital Investment Committee. Mayor Pagano and Rep. Myers presented before the House Capital Investment Committee on March 1st. State Senator Kelly Morrison also introduced legislation to provide funding assistance, SF1133, and the city will present its case to the Senate Capital Investment Committee the week of March 6th.
To view Mayor Pagano's House Testimony video click here
On May 7, 2024, the City received bids to build the water treatment plant. The project bids can be found in the document link below. On June 10, 2024, City Council awarded the bid. Construction timeline to follow. The project is anticipated to take approximately 2 years.