Water Utility

Madison-After nearly seven months of construction work, a new filtration system to remove excess iron and manganese has begun operating at a Madison Water Utility well on North Thompson Road.

The filtration system, a first for the City of Madison, was constructed in response to customer concerns about discolored water. Although not a health concern, iron and manganese levels were high enough at Well 29 to cause aesthetic concerns. As a result, the utility removed the well from service and made plans to design and construct a facility to remove these naturally occurring minerals.

"We placed this well on stand-by status last June, relying instead on other wells with lower levels of iron and manganese" said Water Utility General Manager Tom Heikkinen. "Now with the new filter, we will be providing our customers with the high-quality, clear water that they expect and deserve."

After a 30-day commissioning period, the well is expected to pump year round and deliver about 1.6 million gallons per day to East Side residents. An official dedication of the new filtration facility is scheduled for July 11th. Construction work is still ongoing on the filter building and grounds and will continue for the next several weeks.

The contractor for the filter building was Staab Construction of McFarland, WI. Total project cost including engineering is 1.8 million dollars.

Customers wanting to receive regular updates on Madison's drinking water quality can subscribe to the Drinking Water Quality Listserv at http://lavos.wiscnet.net/mailman/listinfo/drinkingwaterquality. In addition, information on which well(s) serve a specific address can be found on our website, www.madisonwater.org, under the Water Quality tab, or by calling the Water Utility.

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