Water Treatment Plant Expansion
The reverse osmosis water treatment plant expansion project will double the capacity of the plant from 2,000 gallons per minute (gpm) to 4,000 gpm. The reverse osmosis system will reduce the hardness of the City’s water from approximately 24 grains of hardness down to 12 grains. The expansion is projected to meet the water needs of Brandon until 2070.
Advanced treatment technology will ensure the City of Brandon’s water meets and overwhelmingly exceeds water quality standards. Reverse osmosis is a non-chemical treatment method that provides high quality water. Brandon’s water quality will exceed standards set forth by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The benefits of the reverse osmosis water treatment plant expansion project include high quality drinking water, better fire protection for everyone in Brandon, increased capacity to accommodate future residents and businesses, and a reduced amount of salt being discharged into the environment from home water softeners. The reverse osmosis treatment will allow Brandon residents to reduce the amount of salt used in their water softeners if they so choose, and the softer water will reduce calcium buildup on appliances and fixtures which may extend their life. Adjustments can be made to residents’ water softener settings after the project is complete to account for the reduced hardness coming out of the tap.
Project Funding
The bid for the reverse osmosis water treatment plant expansion came in at $24,973,800. To help pay for the project, the City of Brandon applied for and was granted $7,467,900 in American Recue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition to the ARPA funding, the project will be financed with a 30-year bond that will be repaid using revenue from a monthly surcharge on water users’ utility bills. The surcharge will go into effect in January 2023.
tjansma@cityofbrandon.org