New water sources on tap, city says

Water use down; ban remains

 

Water consumption has dropped dramatically since Brandon passed a citywide lawn watering ban July 21. 

“We’ve seen a huge reduction – over 1 million gallons a day,” said city administrator Bryan Read. “People are certainly doing their part.”

Brandon’s water is now sourcing from the city tower and reservoir. The city is no longer using a well as a backup water source, a necessity in June and July. 

While the city isn’t lifting the lawn watering ban, leaders are working on plans to prevent a water shortage situation as dire as the city saw on July 17, when the water tower level was down to 110,000 gallons – too low to put out a major structure fire. 

Increasing elevated storage is one part of that plan. The city has purchased land to build two water towers, each of which will hold 1.25 million gallons of water. Brandon’s current tower, which will be replaced, holds 200,000 gallons. 

The city has contracted the design of the towers and received purchase agreements and conditional use permits from Minnehaha County for land. The project will cost an estimated $8 million. 

The west tower will be located at Six Mile Road and Holly Boulevard, and land earmarked for the east tower is just north of Chestnut and Redwood boulevards. The city awaits court proceedings later this month regarding construction of the east tower, which a resident adjacent to the proposed site, is objecting to. 

Read said the towers will be built simultaneously. Construction could start next year. 

The city is also looking at doubling the size of its water treatment plant in the next four to seven years. That project will cost an estimated $10 million and will be part of the city’s capital outlay budget.

The city used 20-year growth projections when building the plant in 2001.  

“We don’t want to undershoot it – which we did – and we can’t overshoot it, because then we have more water than we can use,” Read said. 

Indoor water usage among Brandon residents has remained consistent over the past several years. 

“The trend line of consumption is matching the growth pattern. What’s not is outside. That has seen a dramatic increase,” he said. 

Since the city council passed the July 21 lawn watering ban, residents have been following the restrictions. 

“Those people who we have caught we gave notice to and saw no further violations,” Read said, adding that no household has had its water service discontinued, the penalty for a second violation of the ban.

Well water

A 2013 study on Brandon’s water infrastructure identified a need for another well water source. The city is currently down to one primary well, located east of Aspen Park. Plans include bringing in a well near McHardy Park, which is already piped to the city’s water treatment plant. The well is set to go in service once the city adds a chemical to the plant’s treatment process to remove radium from that water. 

“We’ll continue to search for additional well sources in the Big Sioux Aquifer,” Read said. 

The well water is tested daily to ensure iron and magnesium remain low and levels are in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency, he said.