The Pierre City Commission has approved (Jan. 16, 2024) the purchase of different screens for the town’s water treatment plant.
Pierre Project Manager Gidget Palmer says the screens are better suited to remove algae growth and other organic materials that naturally exist in the water source. She says the original screens were designed to remove sediment and sand.
Palmer says the existing screens keep sediment, moss and weeds out, but those organic materials tend to clog up those screens. She says the new ones will remove all the materials and are easier to keep clean.
The new screens and parts cost approximately $27,000. Each of the four screens is expected to last up to ten years.
The treatment plant uses raw Missouri River surface water. Six different processes are used to screen, clean and disinfect the water prior to distributing it for consumption. This includes a microfiltration process that helps ensure all federal and state drinking water standards are met.
In 2020, the Pierre City Commission approved the design for the $37.5 million water treatment plant. That approval followed a 2018 public vote which showed 73% approval of the City’s plan to transition from well water to treated Missouri River surface water.
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