New treatment plant to start up soon

Electric City’s arsenic treatment plant will soon be up and running.

And the question is: Will Electric City water taste the same?

There’s room for discussion here. Mayor Jerry Sands said there might be just a touch of chlorine taste.

Public Works Director Ken Dexter agrees.

People who are used to Electric City’s water taste may notice a slight difference, both city officials agreed, while touring the new plant.

Last week, engineers from both Gray and Osborne and equipment suppliers were on site running tests and reviewing progress.

The near $2 million project will be complete and dishing up water with a reduced amount of arsenic by Dec. 1, Mayor Sands stated Tuesday.

With treatment, arsenic levels in the water will be reduced from 13-17 parts per billion to about eight parts per billion, well within the federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards of 10 parts per billion.

The plant will have its own generator that can run the plant and well pumps in the event there is a power failure.

Sands said the city plans to have an open house at the arsenic treatment plant so the public can see and understand how the plant operates.