New Water Intake Plant | Video

Alex Hagan | 11/5/2012

Infrastructure is a growing need all over North Dakota. City leaders are faced with the tough task of providing more water, sewage and other services. Bismarck is starting to address those needs and it starts with a unique looking structure on the Missouri River.

As you`re crossing Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River, there is an odd looking structure close to the water. Workers have been busy over the past year building a water intake plant along the river that has caught the eye of some residents.

"It is a different look for the river and as you cross any one of the bridges, that`s the first thing you see is I think is the design of that structure," said Bismarck resident Dan Sharp.

Public Works employees say the plant is needed in Bismarck. The current treatment plant produces about 15 million gallons of water a day, and the demand for more water is only increasing as the community keeps growing. The new structure will be able to take in 35 million gallons of water.

"We`ll have the ability to meet peak demands of up to let`s say 50 million gallons a day with some treatment improvements at the site we`ve got now," said Director of Utility Operations Keith Demke.

The previous treatment plant pulled in sediment, sands and other material. The fluxuating river levels have limited the ability of the plant to produce enough water. The new building will take in water differently.

"This new intake concept which takes water from underneath the river sort of insolates us from a lot of those problems," Demke said.

Demke says the new site will accommodate more than double the current population.

"Now things are starting to take shape and this should give us the capacity we need for the forseeable future."

Despite the odd shape, residents are confident the project will benefit the community.

"The city people are working on this, have the right idea. We need to plan for the future and this is part of it," Sharp said.

The structure is designed to withstand future flooding on the Missouri River. The project is expected be completed next Spring

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

BACK TO NEWS | BACK TO BISMARCK STORIES