Residents urged to report rust-colored water in real time
It’s no secret that residents of Wessington Springs have been frustrated with the on and off again rust or brown-colored water flowing out of kitchen sink and bathtub taps across town for over a year now, with no definitive answer or remedy to the problem.
Last month, city leadership initiated a study to dig deeper into the problem, assess the state of the current water plant, the costs to repair it and the viability of hooking into Mid-Dakota Rural Water. SPN & Associates Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors has been hired to conduct the system study, with city council approving the $5,000 price tag at the July 10, 2023 meeting.
In addition to the work SPN & Associates has been hired to complete, city leadership asks residents to contact City Hall when rust-colored water presents at their homes or businesses. The city asks that residents report the date, time and description of water to Wessington Springs City Hall by calling 605-539-1691. If it is after hours or during lunch, residents are asked to leave a message.
In 2011 the city conducted a water system study that pointed to the three blocks on College as a high priority area to repair. Among the oldest water mains in Wessington Springs, the stretch of water main originating from the water treatment plant to 2nd Street along College Avenue is cast iron likely installed sometime in the 1910s-1930s.
Engineers have said that stretch of water main has outlived its useful life, While the project doesn’t eliminate all of the cast iron in Wessington Springs, it was identified in the 2011 water study as high priority to correct because of its relationship and proximity with the water plant. The project is currently being advertised to bid, with the deadline to receive bids set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. The Invitation to Bid can be found in the public notices section of this print and e-edition on PAGE SEVEN
The True Dakotan will continue to follow the trajectory of the study, with engineer’s scope of work for the system study published in next week’s print and e-edition.
