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SCU Water Information Portal
Welcome to the St. Cloud Utilities Customer Service Water Information Portal. The purpose of this page is to keep residents and customers of the Utility System informed on a variety of topics of concern including water quality and discoloration, updates on the utility projects and ongoing efforts to address water concerns.
Water Quality
The City of St. Cloud Environmental Utility department takes drinking water samples regularly for testing by a third-party laboratory to ensure that the drinking water meets all regulatory requirements and is safe to drink. The results of these samples are reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) which is responsible to the Environmental Protection Agency for administration of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act for the State of Florida. The FDEP requires that all municipal water systems sample and test for a number of Organic and Inorganic Chemicals, Radionuclides, Disinfection By-products, and Bacteria. In all, the City tests for 80 different compounds, disinfection by-products 4 times a year, 70 bacteriological samples every month. To date the City water system is in compliance with all water quality parameters.
Water Treatment Plant No. 4 Polishing Filter Replacement Project
The City of St. Cloud’s Water Treatment Plant No. 4 utilizes two Polishing Filters to catch and remove resin and other fine particles (the main cause of water discoloration) after primary treatment. The original Polishing Filters structurally failed and lost operational capacity. In 2018, the City implemented a project to replace the failed polishers. The project’s main objective is to replace the two existing aluminum Polishing Filters with stainless steel Polishing Filters. The project also includes replacement of valves and new instrumentation. Completion of the project is anticipated soon.
Water Quality
Update: 03/04/2020
Water Quality monitoring for the City’s utility system is ongoing. In February 2020, we completed the first round of sampling for the EPA’s Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. Results are expected to be returned from the EPA Approved Laboratory within 120 days. The next and final round of sampling will take place in August 2020.
Total Trihalomethanes and Halocetic Acids samples were taken for this past quarter in February. Results have been updated below in the chart under the heading "Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products."
The mission of the City of St. Cloud Environmental Utilities Department is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We are proud to state that our drinking water meets all federal and state requirements.
On an average day the City’s Water Treatment Plants produce almost 7 Million gallons of drinking water. The water is drawn from an underground fresh water reservoir known as the Floridan Aquifer. Water from the aquifer is pumped from 6 wells and is treated by a MIEX system and chlorinated for disinfection purposes. The drinking water is used not only for consumption, but also for irrigation and fire protection.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain compounds in water provided by public water systems to ensure that the water is safe to drink. Drinking water, including bottled water, may contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. However any mineral or chemical compound which could pose a health risk is required to be at or below the level established by state and federal regulators which are protective of public health. More information about contaminates and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. Below is a summary of the classifications of parameters which are regulated by the Florida Department o f Environmental Protection (FDEP) and EPA:
Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products
Microbial contaminants such as bacteria, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and viruses, are often found in source water and can cause gastrointestinal illness. Illnesses include diarrhea, vomiting, cramps and other health risks. In many cases, water needs to be disinfected to inactivate (or kill) these microbial pathogens. However, disinfectants can react with naturally-occurring materials in the water to form byproducts including:
- Trihalomethanes (THM)
- Haloacetic acids (HAA)
- Chlorite
- Bromate
Long term exposure to these disinfection by-products can increase the risk of health effects.
EPA has developed the Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products Rules to limit exposure to these disinfectant byproducts.
The City’s most recent Disinfectants and Disinfection By-products results:
Contaminant and unit of Measurement | Dates of Sampling (12 month period) | MCL Violation (Y/N) | Annual Average | Regulatory Limit | Likely Source of Contamination |
Halocetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb) | 05/19-2/20 | N | 47.7 | 60 | By-Product of drinking water disinfection |
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) (ppb) | 05/19-2/20 | N | 66.3 | 80 | By-Product of drinking water disinfection |
Chlorine Residual (mg/L) | Daily | N | 2.01 (August) | 4 | Water additive to control microbes |
Inorganic Contaminants
Inorganic Contaminants are elements or compounds found in water supplies and may be natural in the geology or caused by activities of man through mining, industry, or agriculture. It is common to have trace amounts of many Inorganic Contaminants in water supplies. Amounts above the Maximum Contaminant Levels may cause a variety of health effects body depending upon the inorganic contaminant and level of exposure.
The City’s most recent Inorganic Contaminant results:
Contaminant and unit of Measurement | Dates of Sampling | MCL Violation (Y/N) | Level Detected | Regulatory Limit | Likely Source of Contamination |
Barium (ppm) | 2/17 | N | 0.0182 | 2 | Discharge of drilling wastes; |
Fluoride (ppm) | 2/18 | N | 0.894 | 4 | Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. Water additive which promotes strong teeth when at optimum level of 0.7 ppm. |
Sodium (ppm) | 2/17 | N | 53.5 | 160 | Salt water intrusion, leaching from soil |
Nickel (ppm) | 2/17 | N | .0055 | 0.1 | Leaching from metals in contact with drinking water, such as pipes and fittings. Also may be present in |
Nitrate (ppm) | 2/17 | N | 0.456 | 10 | Occurs naturally in surface and groundwater at a level that does not generally cause health problems. |
Contaminant and unit of Measurement | Dates of Sampling | Action Level Exceeded on 10% of Samples? (Y/N) | 90th Percentile | No. of Sampling Sites Exceeding AL | MCL | Likely Source of Contamination |
Copper - Tap Water (ppm) | 08/17 | N | 0.304 | 1 of 30 | 1.3 | Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives |
Lead - Tap Water (ppb) | 08/17 | N | 3.7 | 0 of 30 | 15 | Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits |
References:
Environmental Protection Agency. (2019) National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations
South Dakota DENR. (2019) Inorganic Contaminants. Retrieved from https://denr.sd.gov/des/dw/IOCs.aspx
WATER TREATMENT PLANT NO. 4 POLISHING FILTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT
Update: 03/04/2020
The two stainless steel polishing filters at Water Treatment Plant #4 are operational as of December 2019. They are currently filtering all finished water leaving the treatment process. The turbidity of the finished water has improved since the polishing filters have gone online.
The polishing filters are online and working, however, the replacement project is not yet complete. There are still adjustments being made to the filter backwash controls to ensure efficient cleaning cycles. Also, there are some valves and actuators that are being replaced that tend to stick. The contractor for the project must meet a performance standard for two years until final project completion.
There are two Polishing Filters at Water Treatment Plant No. 4. They are designed to remove and trap resin (small particles from the breakdown of the acrylic resin beads) prior to finished water chlorination and fluoridation. The filters had been in-service for 9-years. In 2016, the operations staff noticed that vacuum conditions were occurring in the Polishing Filters during backwash events. To trouble shoot the problem, the City operations staff replaced all of the air release valves that were located on the inlet feed and effluent discharge on the filters, and performed a number of weld repairs to the upper polisher roof seams and intermediate floor plates that have been damaged. In late 2017,the polishing filters failed again and the City made the decision to replace the filters.
The City contracted with Jones Edmunds, an engineering firm, to conduct a hydraulic evaluation of the polishers, identify design modifications to prevent vacuum conditions from occurring, provide corrected actions to repair structural damage of the polishers and present replacement options. The design was completed, the project was bid out, and the project began in October 2018.
In July of 2019, the new stainless steel Polishing Filters were delivered to Water Treatment Plant No. 4. The new Polishing Filters were designed to fit in the same footprint as the past filters and utilize the same piping connections. Advanced 3D surveying techniques were used by the contractor, Prime Construction, to ensure that everything matched up correctly.
Once installed, the Polishing Filters under went pressure and bacteriological testing. During the pressure tests, issues were discovered with some gate valves and the actuator controls. Final performance testing is on hold until the actuators controls are completely operational. The City anticipates the controls to be repaired, final performance testing, and the Polishing Filters operational before the end of November 2019.
UNIDIRECTIONAL FLUSHING PROGRAM
Update: 03/04/2020
The City’s Unidirectional Flushing Program is temporarily suspended during the ice pigging effort. The program will begin again after the ice pigging has been completed. Notice will be given to residents prior to restarting the Unidirectional Flushing.
The City’s Unidirectional Flushing Program is our main tool in tackling the water discoloration and sedimentation issue in the distribution system. Unidirectional flushing is different from conventional flushing in many ways. It involves manipulating valves to divert flow and create high scouring velocities in the pipes to flush out the accumulated resin sediment. The Unidirectional flushing program is progressing in a systematic manner through the portions of the water distribution system most impacted by the resin sediment. The City anticipates that it will take several rounds of the Unidirectional flushing to clear the distribution system in these most affected areas.
The Unidirectional Flushing Program is intended to be City-Wide, to flush every water main that is larger than 10”in diameter. The flushing program was designed as 10 different zones to be flushed sequentially. The program starts in the South-West portion of the Utility Boundary area near Water Treatment Plant No. 4 and progresses North and East.
Currently, the City is only concentrating on Unidirectional Flushing within the zones experiencing frequent occurrences of water discoloration. Once the first round of unidirectional flushing is complete, the City will immediately begin a second round of the program and flush additional areas within each zone where there is evidence of discolored water.
FIND YOUR ZONE
ZONE 1:
Keystone Pointe · Christy Lane/Michele Lane · Villagio ·Oak Ridge Place· Canoe Creek Lakes· Teka Village · Sawyer Estates · Woodland Terrace · Crestwood · Inglewood Meadows· Pine Chase Estates · Cypress Point · Canoe Creek Villas · The Estates –Stevens Plantation · Magnolia Green· Verandah Lake · The Grove · Sanctuary · Sweetwater Creek
ZONE 2:
Nachez Trace · Pine Lake Estates · Anthem Park · St. Cloud Villas · Heather Hall Neptune Elementary· Magnolia Glen · St. Cloud Regional Medical Center
ZONE 3:
Royal Gardens of St. Cloud - Assisted Living Facility • Palamar Oaks Village• St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church • Sugar Mill park • Lakeview Elementary School •Old Sugar Mill Lane • Neptune Middle School •Battaglia • Neptune Bay Apartments •Mickey Johnson Court & City of Life Church • St. Cloud Village Apartments •Pemberly Pines • Personal Mini Storage •Beehive Circle Drive • Summer Cove Apartments • Businesses along US192 from Big Sky Boulevardto Brown Chapel Road
ZONE 4:
Sweetwater Creek • Camelot • Nick’s Plaza • Canoe Creek Estates • Canoe Creek Woods • Southern Pines • Indian Lakes • Chris Court • Villas Del Castillo
To view the MSDS sheet on Miex resin used at Water Plant #4, please follow the link to the IXOM website: https://www.ixom.com/sds-search
The manufacturer of the MIEX resin is required to comply with the NSF/ANSI/CAN 61, which sets health effects criteria for many water system components and regulates drinking water supplies. The link to view the NSF website is: https://www.nsf.org/services/by-industry/water-wastewater/municipal-water-treatment/nsf-ansi-can-standard-61
Water Plant 4 timeline
In response to numerous requests from the public, we have posted a presentation by the St. Cloud Utilities Department explaining the timeline of the city’s steps in addressing the issue of discolored water. The information has been posted in a format that meets American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for how governments must make information accessible to all.
Water Treatment Plant #4 Polisher Timeline
2008
• WTP No. 4 commissioned and operation begun.
2013
• First documented repairs to polishers.
2016
• Spring - Additional welding repairs performed on Polishers.
– Initial customer complaints of discolored water and a flushing protocol initiated to remove the discolored water.
2017
• May- Polisher repairs fail again, unable to perform additional repairs.
– City contacts Resin manufacturer with concerns about apparent changes to resin properties, gradation of particles, and fines in resin packaging believed to be contributing to the water discoloration.
• June-Aug. – City contracts Engineering Consultant for analysis of resin and evaluation of the Polishers. City meets with resin manufacturer.
• July – Bill Sturgeon appointed as City Manager, and directs staff to meet with IXOM, the resin manufacturer, and Jones Edmonds, to research the issue and make recommendations for a solution.
• Fall - WTP #4 Polishers taken offline due to structural failure.
• November - Resin system at WTP #4 is shut down to clean the MIEX system and prepare for a restart.
– Environmental Utilities Director resigns and Public Works Director assumes responsibility for Utilities under a consolidation with Public Works.
2018
• January - City contracts with Engineering Consultant for design, permitting and construction of replacement polishers for WTP #4.
– Resin Treatment system is restarted at WTP #4 with two cells of a Polisher operational. Portion of water bypasses Polishers because of lack of capacity with only two cells.
• February - City provides Resin manufacturer with results of consultant analysis of resin.
• March - City posts door hangers and posts information regarding water discoloration. Resin manufacturer meets with City and consultant to discuss findings of resin analysis.
– 4 of 6 cells in the two Polishers are placed back into operation at WTP #4.
• June - City contracts with Engineering Consultant for design, permitting and construction of hydrogen sulfide removal system for WTP #1.
• September - City contracts with Tetra-Tech, an environmental engineering consultant, and US Water Corporation through Tetra-Tech to supplement City water operations staff and provide operations consulting.
– US Water begins work on restarting WTP#1, which has been offline
• Sept./Oct. - City water operations supervisory staff dismissed and US Water assumes operations supervisory responsibility.
• October - Notice to Proceed issued to contractor for the project for the removal of the failed Polishers and the installation of the new Polishers at WTP #4.
2019
• Jan-March - US Water implements operational changes at water plants, significantly reducing the loss of MIEX resin from the treatment plants.
• January - US Water restarts WTP #1.
• May - US Water initiates a comprehensive system wide flushing program to attempt to remove accumulated MIEX resin particulates from the distribution system.
• June - Public Services Director resigns and City contracts with former Executive Director of Toho Water Authority to serve as Interim Environmental Utilities Director beginning in July.
Contractor begins the installation of new Polisher units at WTP #4.
• July - City hires a new Water Treatment Superintendent. Interim Utility Director starts about two weeks later.
• August - City Water Treatment Superintendent begins assuming full responsibility for water treatment system. US Water assistance is begun to be phased out.
– City begins new Unidirectional Flushing program to flush accumulated MIEX resin from the distribution system. Unidirectional Flushing provides a more systematic, engineered process for flushing. City records data of flushing segments to monitor and gauge progress.
• Aug.-Nov. - Contractor and City staff begin process of testing, adjusting, repairing, and replacing valves and controls for the new Polishers.
• October - First cycle of Unidirectional Flushing is completed for areas with most impact/experiences of discolored water.
October 30th initial meeting with Utility Services about Ice Pigging.
• November - Second cycle of Unidirectional Flushing is begun. Second cycle includes adding some additional water lines on side streets. With experience, the crew is making progress at much quicker rate on the second cycle and anticipates to be completed by the end of the year.
• December - Operational performance testing is performed on the new Polishers with the assistance of the equipment manufacturer’s representative. Some additional control and valve problems were discovered but significant portions/cells of the Polishers are ready for operation. Following a final report on the operational testing, both of the Polishers may be ready for full operation. City staff worked with Utility Services to develop a project scope and proposal for Ice Pigging the portion of the water system experiencing the most complaints. City Council approves funding of the Ice Pigging Project.
New Stainless Steel Polishers installed
2020
• January - Completed second cycle of Unidirectional Flushing in first week.
– Added MIEX Resin to Water Plant #4 to bring resin level to recommended level for effective treatment and operation of the resin system. – Met with Utility Services on the 15th to discuss proposed schedule and support for the Ice Pigging project.
– Continue to work on making adjustments and trouble shooting new Polishers during operation. Polishers able to perform with manual oversight and adjustment.
- Change out MIEX resin at Water Plant #1. Resin required changing due to build up of sulfides and sulfur bacteria as a result of the levels of Hydrogen Sulfide in the raw water from well. Project to add Forced Draft Aeration to remove Hydrogen Sulfide to begin bidding at the end of the month.
• Scheduled and initiated a third Unidirectional Flushing program for Canoe Creek Lakes which includes having a sampling of residents across the development collect daily samples following the flushing to assist in evaluating the flushing program. Flushing and sampling performed from Jan 21st to Feb. 4th.
- A technical representative from IXOM, the MIEX company, was onsite Jan. 27th-29th to provide guidance and assistance in fine tuning the operation of the water plants and polishers. The representative will be providing a follow up report with recommendations.
• Met with Utility Services to finalize and coordinate the Ice Pigging effort to begin February 10th and run through March 23rd.
• February - Ground Storage Tanks at WTP #4 cleaned by specialty contractor in advance of Ice Pigging work during first week of month.
– Consultation with Engineer on the operation and final steps for completion and certification of Polishers.
– Ice Pigging Begins February 10th for water lines on Old Canoe Creek Road. Ice Pigging to proceed for 33 days to March 23rd.
February finished water turbidity chart
Ice Pigging
• Ice pigging is an advanced pipe cleaning technology that is used on drinking water mains.
• More effective at removing sediment and debris than traditional water flushing.
• Uses less water, takes less time, and does not require pipe excavation.
How it Works
• Chiller Truck creates a slurry of ice overnight.
• Slurry of ice is pumped into a shutdown water main.
• The slurry of ice is pushed along the water main and picks up sediment and debris.
• The ice, sediment, and debris is removed from the system at a fire hydrant at the end of the run.
• The water main is out of service for about two hours.
Ice Pigging in St. Cloud
St. Cloud – 2/10/20
Ice Pigging truck
St. Cloud – 2/10/20
Ice Pigging Results
Water Treatment and MIEX Resin
Raw Water – Groundwater – Upper Floridan Aquifer
• 1st Step – Raw Water mixes with MIEX Resin in Contactors.
• 2nd Step – Settlers – Majority of Resin settles in tank for recirculation.
• 3rd Step – Settled water is filtered in Polishers to remove any resin particles that don’t settle in settling process.
• 4th Step – Chlorination for disinfection.
• 5th Step – Finished water to Ground Storage tanks
MIEX Resin
Purpose/Function of Resin.
• Removal of Dissolved Organic Carbon through Ion Exchange Process similar to a water softener.
MIEX Resin:
• Trimethylammonium chloride functional group.
• Iron oxide base to provide magnetic properties to resin.
• Chloride ion is exchanged for Dissolved Organic Carbon in Ion Exchange.
• Resin is regenerated with a concentrated Brine solution.
MIEX Resin Facts:
• Inert material certified for use in drinking water treatment by Environmental Protection Agency and the National Sanitation Foundation in the US and the Drinking Water Inspectorate in the United Kingdom.
• In use in over 70 water treatment plants around the world primarily in North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
• In use for water treatment for over 19 years.
Disinfection By-products
• Removal of Organic Carbon from Water prevents formation of regulated Disinfection By-Products
– Organic Carbon reacts with the Chlorine added for disinfection to form Disinfection By-Products
• Disinfection By-Products are regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act because long term exposures can increase the risk for some types of cancer.
• Federal and state drinking water regulations mandate that a water supplier test for Disinfection By-Products quarterly and that the rolling annual average of the levels detected are below the regulatory level.
• Results of St. Cloud’s most recent testing conducted in November 2019 show that the levels of Disinfection By-Products are below the regulatory limit.
Q3 TTHM summary
HAA5 Chart