MANDAN, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota grant money will offer relief to ratepayers as a $5.6 million project moves forward to upgrade a city’s water system.
The city of Mandan will use the $3.1 million North Dakota State Water Commission grant to fund part of a 30-inch water transmission line replacement. The commission also extended an existing grant to plan a new water intake, the Bismarck Tribune reported .
“Both projects were recommended and approved for funding by the State Water Commission because of two factors,” said Garland Erbele, North Dakota’s state engineer. “The first factor is related to Mandan’s recent population growth. In addition to that challenge, the commission weighed the potential impacts to the water system from ongoing intake complications, which could be quite serious.”
State Engineer Garland Erbele says the commission approved both projects for funding because of Mandan’s recent population growth and the potential impacts to the water system from ongoing intake complications.
The state grant also prevents the city from having to pass the total cost of the project on to ratepayers.
“Obviously, any little bit helps,” said Jim Neubauer, Mandan’s city administrator. “There’s only so much the (water) rate should go up per year and remain competitive.”
The new line will replace more than 9,000 feet of 40-year-old pipe connecting the water treatment plant and a reservoir on Old Red Trail.
The city in 1994 experienced pip failures. An investigation found both internal and external corrosion, according to Jasper Klein, operations manager of AE2S.
The city plans to issue a request for bids in June, with construction of the project slated to start in September.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com
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