The Wakefield Republican -

Wakefield City Administrator Chad Mackling gave an update for the City’s planned Water treatment plan, as the Council has approved the contractor and plans for the near $7 million project.
A preconstruction meeting was recently held with the City’s construction firm, John T. Jones of South Dakota and Olssen and Associates, the City’s engineer.
The new water treatment plant was approved by the City Council to set up the facility for expansion for future needs, and was approved by the Council with a $6.7 million pricetag.
All together, the Council ended up borrowing around $8 million for the project, to help plan for any issues or changes that might arise before the construction is completed in the fall of 2024.
Of that $8 million, however, the City has received approval for a just more than 50 percent loan forgiveness through a state/federal grant program partnered with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and “WEWAC” the Water Education Water Awareness Committee.
Mackling said that the city’s current facility would either be demolished or kept for storage area.
“The current system of what is being used is over 50 years old,” said Mackling, “and would need upgrades that would be more expensive thatn the investment return.”
According to the most recently published Water Quality report from 2021, the City of Wakefield currently has no violations in its water quality report.
Almost all of the City’s most recently collected samples, in the 2021 report, were collected in 2016-2017 and 2019-2020.
The City’s reported nitrates were .172 ppm, barely traceable on the State’s acceptable limit of 10ppm.
In a figure from 2017-2019 the City’s lead content was 4.57ppb, with an acceptable level of 15, and one site testing over. The range for lead was .639-38.7.
Other tested water contaminants included copper, arsenic, nickel and sulfate. All the remaining tests were reported below the allowable level.
In the 2021 report, it was reported that the treatment plant had “uncorrected significant deficiencies” that were identified in 2020, and the City’s response was the construction of a new facility to replace the older water treatment plant.