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Water Treatment Facility
Dear Fernley Residents,
On October 21, 2009 the City of Fernley celebrated the successful completion of the Fernley Water Treatment Facility. Through construction of this facility the City has complied with federal requirements for arsenic removal from drinking water. In order to comply with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act, the City took both a proactive and imperative step to ensuring the delivery of safe, quality drinking water for residents and businesses for years to come.
Few things are more important to our community than ensuring that our drinking water is clean, safe, and reliable. In addition to meeting the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Safe Drinking Water Act - the construction and completion of Fernley’s Water Treatment Facility has been one of the most important issues facing our community. Treating our water with care is an important community investment. This investment pays off in dividends to our health, well-being and the quality of life we enjoy here in Fernley.
This facility - a technologically advanced, design-build effort to remove arsenic from the untreated levels, which average 50 parts per billion, provides clean and safe drinking water to Fernley to comply with the EPA standard of 10 parts or less per billion.
The state-of-the-art facility, with a $40 million dollar construction investment and another $25 million investment in infrastructure, has met all of the City's ground water treatment goals and has placed Fernley in a position to attract new business and commerce to the city. The treatment facility removes arsenic from the city's ground water through a three-step process: coagulation-flocculation/sedimentation and a microfiltration system. The facility currently treats groundwater and may be expanded in the future to treat surface water as well. The facility produces an average of four to six million gallons per day, with capacity to 20 million gallons per day and expansion capability to 30 million gallons per day, ensuring the city can accommodate future growth and our economic success as a community.
City of Fernley officials, Public Works staff, KG Walters Construction, Camp Dresser and McKee (CDM), and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection/Bureau of Safe Drinking Water have all made significant contributions in developing, operating and maintaining the systems that produce and process Fernley's safe water. With the construction and completion of the Water Treatment Facility we have demonstrated our commitment to providing our residents and businesses with clean, safe and reliable water service, today and in the future.
History
The City of Fernley’s Water Treatment Facility began construction in October 2007. The facility was designed and constructed to bring the City of Fernley into compliance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act. The Safe Drinking Water Act was revised to include a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/l) for Arsenic. The previous standard was 50 ug/l. Arsenic is present in the City’s groundwater supply and must be reduced to 10 ug/l or below prior to distribution to customers. (See the EPA's Arsenic Rule)
While the City and the State of Nevada entered into a Bilateral Compliance Agreement that extended the compliance period to July 23, 2009, the facility took approximately 22 months to construct, meeting the deadline using fast track design and construction methods.
On Wednesday, September 5, 2007, the City Council awarded the Water Treatment Plant bid to KG Walters Construction, Inc. in the amount of $38,207,000 to construct the Water Treatment Plant. The team of KG Walters brought the project in on time and at an investment of $39,859,671 with only 2.1% in change orders. Comparable capital projects of this size average between 4% and 10% in change orders.
History
The City of Fernley’s Water Treatment Facility began construction in October, 2007. The facility was designed and constructed to bring the City of Fernley into compliance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act was revised to include a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/l) for Arsenic. The old standard was 50 ug/l. Arsenic is present in the City’s groundwater supply and must be reduced below 10 ug/l prior to distribution to customers. (See the EPA's Arsenic Rule)
While the City and the State of Nevada entered into a Bilateral Compliance Agreement that extended the compliance period to July 23, 2009, the facility took under approximately 22 months to construct, meeting the deadline using fast track design and fast construction methods.
On Wednesday, September 5, 2007, the City Council awarded the Water Treatment Plant bid to KG Walters Construction, Inc. in the amount of $38,207,000 to construct the Water Treatment Plant. The team of KG Walters brought the project in on time and at a investment of $39,859,671 with only 2.1% in change orders. Comparable capital projects of this size average between 4% and 10% in change orders. came in project came in on time at The City Council will also consider services of oversight engineering work and inspection services at a future Council meeting. Contract documents are expected to be completed in the next few weeks and then construction will begin shortly thereafter. The project is expected take 22 months to complete and the City must be in compliance with federal law by July 23, 2009, which is approximately 22 months from September 5, 2007.
The treatment facility removes arsenic from Fernley's water through a three step process: coagulation - flocculation/sedimentation - microfiltration. While these words are worthy of the National Spelling Bee, the process can be simplified in the following description:
Raw water will enter the plant and be injected with an iron-based liquid (coagulation) which acts as a “magnet for arsenic.” The coagulated water will then be mixed up (flocculation) in one area, and then allowed to settle (sedimentation) in another area. Any remaining arsenic will be removed when the water is put through filters with very tiny pores (microfiltration). Any material that will be removed in the process will be sent to ponds, dried, and then shipped to the Lockwood Landfill.
The project is located on a parcel just north and west of the west end of Mesa Drive. The project also includes improvements to Mesa Drive and will be built to be aesthetically pleasing, including modern architecture, low impact down-facing lights, and substantial landscaping. The project is designed to comply with all laws and safety guidelines and will be safe to the public. The project is designed to treat arsenic from the current levels, which average 50 parts per billion, to comply with the EPA standard of 10 parts or less per billion.