New Water Intake

Raw water is drawn from Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay through a 24-inch cast iron intake. Low lift pumping is provided by two 2,000 gpm pumps at the City’s WTP. The WTP has a firm and installed capacity of 1.5 and 2.0 MGD, respectively, and is comprised of four trains of microfiltration membrane filters. Chemical dosing is comprised of sodium hypochlorite for disinfection, fluorosilicic acid for dental health, and orthophosphate for corrosion control. Following a finished water reservoir located beneath the WTP, high-lift pumps pressurize the water for distribution to customers. The City’s existing intake was built in 1891 and originally drew water 4,000 feet offshore from an intake structure located 8 feet above the lakebed. In 1922, the intake was cut 1,950 feet offshore when a ship anchored in Chequamegon Bay while sheltering during a storm. The intake was reconstructed at this location in shallower water. Now that the existing intake has provided well over a century of service, the City is proactively taking steps to plan, design, and construct a new intake to serve its residents and businesses for the next century. The ultimate objectives of the project also include locating and arranging the crib and intake further offshore to improve raw water quality, benefit WTP maintenance and operations, and mitigate frazil ice. 

Our team is providing the preliminary design, environmental review, and permitting services for the City’s new intake, culminating in an Engineering Report with Preliminary Contract Drawings and Specifications submitted along with permit applications to the appropriate state and federal agencies. We are also assisting with developing a funding strategy and assistance with obtaining grants and low-interest loans through multiple sources. We will also be assisting with completing field investigations to include additional data in permit submittals as requested by permitting agencies, as well as completing the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP) State Revolving Funds (SRF) funding application. 

Project Highlights: 

• Preliminary design, environmental review and permitting for new water intake 

• Strategy and assistance to secure grants and low interest loans 

• Regulatory compliance