Red Lake Falls Water Treatment Facility

Municipal Engineering Projects: +

Red Lake Falls Water Treatment Plant Design

Project Type: Water Treatment Plant Design; Red Lake Falls, MN

Client: City of Red Lake Falls

Soil movement within the City of Red Lake Falls has long been a problem that has caused many buildings, roads, and sewers in the area to have experienced greater than normal heaving and settling. The settling of the bluff to the north of the water treatment plant threatened to undermine the entire facility, leaving the City without a source of potable water. The new water treatment plant and wells were located near the City’s elevated storage tank, away from the bluffs that threaten to devour other structures in town. LHB designed a 2,540 square foot building to house the three pressure filters, three softeners, and the brine storage tank, as well as the chemical feed system and control room. Two new wells were also designed to replace the City’s existing wells, which were located near the old treatment facility. LHB teamed up with HDR, who provided electrical and control design for the project. As the project design reached completion, discussion of project funding turned toward the then proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), commonly referred to as the “Stimulus Package.” With the age and condition of the old facility, and limited tax base, the City and LHB determined that the replacement project would be a good candidate for ARRA funding. LHB helped the City apply for the funds. In June of 2009, the project was awarded to Magney Construction, Inc. Shortly after the project award, the City was notified that they would be the recipient of $1,894,732 in grant dollars, which would be used to pay for construction costs and design fees. This grant paid for 84% of the construction costs which was approximately $1.7 million for the City’s new water treatment plant and wells.