Spencer residents will soon see great improvement in water quality thanks to Spencer Municipal Utilities water treatment facility project nearing completion and the new facility soon becoming operational.
Before the facility becomes operational as we move in to the final weeks of this part of the construction process, we again anticipate customers noticing more changes than they have been in terms of hardness, color, taste, and smell as we make final preparations on the treatment and return to softening water as the project nears completion. We anticipate the increase in changes being over by the end of the month when the updated facility is operational.
“The next few weeks are the final weeks of the major construction on the project, and customers will experience an increase in discolored water during this part of the process. We will be flushing the system ahead of time as well as during the process to help alleviate as much of the discolored water as possible,” says Tony Hall, SMU water manager.
Throughout the construction process, SMU has continued to monitor the water quality, it has met all regulatory standards throughout construction, even though it is not the same quality before construction started. All regulatory and additional sampling is processed through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and analyzed in IDNR and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified labs with results reported directly to the IDNR to assist with customer notification if immediate action is needed.
Construction on Phase II, the final phase of construction was started in September 2015 with an anticipated completion date of February 2017, so we are on schedule for that later this month.
“During this time of transition over the next few weeks, it is important that customers continue to let us know of any differences by contacting us directly to make sure we know about it. That will help us in doing what we can to make the transition as smooth as possible,” adds Amanda Gloyd, SMU marketing & community relations manager.
SMU has been gathering customer feedback throughout the construction process. If you are experiencing a difference in your water, contact us directly by email at smuwater@smunet.net, or call us at 580-WATR (9287).
Construction of Phase II includes improvements to the additional raw water source, reliability additions, safety upgrades, and lime handling of our water system in addition to increasing treatment capacity. The remainder of this phase will be completed later this year, but will not affect the quality or quantity of water customers receive going forward.
“We appreciate customer patience and support of your local municipal utility during this construction process. We know the water hasn’t always met our own quality standards or our customers even though it continues to meet all regulatory standards,” adds Hall.
SMU is a leading provider of cable, internet, and telephone service in the Spencer community and has been providing water since 1886 and electric services since 1901.
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