Water System Council Presentation May 6, 2024
Staff presents a comprehensive view of the city's water system and improvement needs.
About the City Water System
Alliance Water Resources has operated and maintained the water system
for the City of Cape Girardeau since June 3, 1992, when the water system
was purchased by the City from Union Electric.
The Cape Rock Water Treatment Plant is operated and maintained 24 hours a
day, including weekends and holidays. The system has a 10.3 million
gallon per day production capacity and an average daily production of
5.4 million gallons.
Over 300 miles of water mains are maintained and repaired, including
service connections up to property lines. Every month, water crews read
over 17,000 meters and respond to over 1,000 customer service calls.
Alliance also provides locate services for water, sewer, storm, fiber,
and city electric lines to contractors and homeowners.
Council Approves Resolution for Lime System 5/6/2024
The
existing pebble lime (quicklime) system, used for softening and pH
control of the City’s water supply, was installed with the 1999
expansion at the Cape Rock Water Treatment Plant. The Water Treatment Plant #1 Evaluation
prepared by the engineering firm Crawford Murphy & Tilley in 2021
found the existing lime system to have reached the end of its useful
design life and recommended replacement with modern lime slurry
technology to reduce maintenance and reduce lime slurry residuals
discharged to the Mississippi River. Also, greater capacity is needed
to modify the treatment process in response to recent changes in the
source water quality and to meet future water demand. The Lime Feed System - Preliminary Design Report prepared
by the engineering firm Donohue & Associates in 2023 identified the
design parameters necessary for a new lower maintenance high-density
hydrated lime system. This
bid is only for the procurement of the hydrated lime system as
necessary to expedite the project so that the system can be fully
operational prior to peak water usage in 2025. A separate construction
contract for purpose of installing the new system will be bid in late
2024.