Rate hikes would help fund Grand Forks wastewater plan
As the city grows and officials hope to lure more businesses to town, Grand Forks administrators want to beef up the wastewater treatment plant northwest of town. They aim to pay for at least some of that with compounding utility rate increases. 7:00 am, May 8, 2021 ×
Grand Forks City Hall, 255 N. 4th St. Sam Easter / Grand Forks Herald
Grand Forks administrators want to hike utility rates to pay for improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Public works staff want about $13.7 million by the end of 2024 to pay for new piping, safety improvements, a new generator and getting the plant up to city code. They also seek another $31.3 million by 2027 to modify each of the plant’s four bioreactors to handle more wastewater in general as the city grows, along with the volume of relatively dirty waste that’s pumped out by Red River Biorefinery, JR Simplot and other large-scale industrial and
Drinking Water Week highlights importance of safe drinking water
Devils Lake Newsroom Special Feature
BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality Division of Municipal Facilities encourages consumers to observe Drinking Water Week May 2-8, 2021.
The water community celebrates Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role drinking water plays in our daily lives. This annual event focuses on the value of water resources, recognizes the importance of having a safe and dependable supply of water now and in the future, and promotes water conservation. This year’s event recognizes the work of water system operators, infrastructure maintenance crews and water professionals who work to ensure safe tap water is available when needed. Tap water delivers public health protection by providing water for hygiene and hydration, fire protection, support for the economy and the quality of life we enjoy.
Southwest Water Authority has once again received Certificates of Achievement for Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ). The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) applies to every public water system in the United States. Southwest Water Authorityâs five public water systems achieved this Certificate of Achievement. These public water systems include service from the Water Treatment Plants in Dickinson, the OMND Water Treatment Plant, and the Crown Butte, Junction Inn and Tower Hill pocket areas in Morton County.
By law, all public water systems are required by the SDWA to take actions to protect source water and provide safe drinking water. The SDWA was passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nationâs public drinking water supplies. Over the years, there have been a number of changes to the SDWA. These changes have made it more challenging to maintain compliance. The NDDEQ issues a SDWA Cer
DeSmog
Aug 19, 2019 @ 12:56
In July 2015 workers at the Garden Creek I Gas Processing Plant, in Watford City, North Dakota, noticed a leak in a pipeline and reported a spill to the North Dakota Department of Health that remains officially listed as 10 gallons, the size of two bottled water delivery jugs.
But a whistle-blower has revealed to DeSmog the incident is actually on par with the 1989
Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, which released roughly 11 million gallons of thick crude.
The Garden Creek spill “is in fact over 11 million gallons of condensate that leaked through a crack in a pipeline for over 3 years,” says the whistle-blower, who has expertise in environmental science but refused to be named or give other background information for fear of losing their job. They provided to DeSmog a document that details remediation efforts and verifies the spill’s monstrous size.