FIVE WELLS NEEDED BY THE YEAR 2020
AND PROBABLY TWO TREATMENT PLANTS
Johnson, engineers with TKDA, presented results of their water study for the City of Victoria that projects the city's needs through the year 2020.
Jack said that through the year 2005, there should be enough housing stock available in the current city limits to ac-commodate growth at approximately 150 homes per year.  Two areas immediately outside but adjacent to the city limits on the west and south side, each slated for annexation to Victoria, will probably develop before 2005, he said.
In responding to projections, Jack reminded councilmembers that MUSA boundaries are not fixed; they can be moved to accommodate reality.  He added that Victoria should plan its infrastructure to accommodate the possibility of a com-mercial or industrial campus at its most southern edge should Highway 212 develop.
Kurt Johnson reported on the existing water mains in Victoria and said, "The system is very strong and has performed very well."  He said the Kochia Lane link was a recent important loop in the system.
"You have high quality water but it does have some manganese," he said.  "You have low iron that causes some esthetic problems and an accumulation over long periods of time."
Goal of the study was to estimate an-nual water usage through the year 2020 and to anticipate development in the pro-posed annexation area, at the same time trying to identify future loops and sizes.
Mr. Johnson proposed abandoning well #1 and pump house #1, which are located in the Smithtown area north of Highway 7 and have been weak for many years.  He said the city's small water tower, located near Deer Run, would not be a viable usable facility and should probably be removed some day. 
He also recommended an upgrade to well #2 near the Victoria Fire Station.
As for future facilities, he proposed that well #4 be in the system and online between 2005 and 2010.  He proposed a second large elevated tank with a one million gallon capacity be constructed just west of Kirke-Lachen.  The tower near Diethelm Park is 500,000 gallons.
He proposed wells #5 and #6 be drilled between 2015 and 2020 just south of current city limits.  "We project a total of five wells to meet the 2020 projec-tions," he said, "and there would be treatment facilities at two locations," perhaps near wells #2 and #3 and near wells #5 and #6.
In response to a question from Coun-cilmember Gordon Simanton about treat-ment already occurring in the city's pump houses, Mr. Johnson replied that chlorine, fluoridation, and polyphosphates are not considered part of the treatment process.  A "treatment plant" removes iron and manganese from water through oxidation and filtering.  Chlorination can also be done at the treatment plant, after the oxi-dation.
"Manganese is a gummy gooey material that causes under-operation in meters, and iron turns the water brown," he explained.  Even with flushing Vic-toria's existing system twice a year, water meters can be destroyed by manganese in a couple of years.
He explained that a treatment facility usually does not soften municipal water, that calcium and magnesium make water hard and these elements are better handled on the homeowner level.
Said Jack, "Some treatment facilities do soften water, but it's more economical to do it in homes, where residents can also bypass soft water for sprinkling purpos-es."
Also in Victoria's existing wells, there is some hydrogen sulfide, a com-pound that smells like rotten eggs.  "John Hoffman, one of your public works people, is wrestling with how much chlo-rine to use to get rid of the hydrogen sul-fide," he said.
Mayor Mary Meuwissen asked about the $6 million figure proposed for a treat-ment facility.  "It seems high from what we've read and heard about in the past."
Administrator Steve Sarvi said that the City of Watertown, where he serves as mayor, built a treatment plant for $3 million, "but Watertown doesn't have both iron and manganese, just one of them."
Councilmember Jerry Bohn asked why the second treatment facility for Vic-toria is projected to cost $4.  Kurt Johnson replied that it's related to the different water flows from the various wells.
City Engineer Griffin was instructed to check other water systems, perhaps at Watertown, Waconia, and St. Bonifacius, to compare and verify cost estimates of treatment facilities.
TKDA will prepare a rate study that includes the financial impact of the sewer and water proposals. Until this study and other studies are concluded, the develop-ment moratorium remains in effect in Victoria. 

TABLING THE CARVER COUNTY INVOICE
UNTIL COUNTY ROAD #18 TRAIL IN VICTORIA IS RESURFACE
Councilmembers tabled a $113,867 request from Carver County for the city's share of construction costs for the County Road #18 project.  Said City Engineer Jack Griffin, "Basically, it's for the bituminous trail and concrete curb and gutter."  Of that amount, he said, $58,256 is for the trail.
Councilmember Richard Tieden pointed out that the trail is in very poor condition and the county made a commit-ment last year to fix it.  "It is my under-standing," said Richard, "that it was a poor job and we were going to wait until spring and have that entire trail resurfaced and not pay any money until that was accomplished, especially considering the continuing problems.  I think we should have the county complete the project first."
Added Councilmember Jerry Bohn, 'Weren't we going to get some considera-tion for the landscaping?"  Mayor Mary Meuwissen said that Carver County com-mitted to paying 25%.  It was pointed out that the county had reneged on paying $60,000 toward associated landscaping costs.
Councilmember Tieden will meet with the city engineer, city planner, and county to review the situation.  The in-voice for $113,867 was set aside.

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