Glass of Heaven

Published 12:00am Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Comments

In the case of fluoride, which enters ground water through the erosion of natural deposits, fertilizer and aluminum factory discharge (the state of Minnesota also requires cities to add it to promote strong teeth), the maximum contaminant level is 4.0 milligrams per liter. The level found in Fergus Falls water during the test year, 2003, was between .96 and 1.2. According to Plant Consultant Harvey Triepke, who is in charge of coordinating and writing the annual report and has been involved with the plant since 1963, clean drinking water in Fergus is due partly to the quality of Ottertail River water and efforts that have been taken upriver through the years to improve the river’s water quality. Triepke was working on the 2005 report, containing data from 2004, as of press time and said it showed very similar results to last year’s report. Water enters the treatment plant from Wright Lake, which is fed by water diverted from the Otter Tail River by Diversion Dam. Once in the plant, it goes through a variety of chemical manipulations and is detained for a little more than one hour. Its final destination in the plant is the 165,000-gallon &uot;clear well&uot; underneath the treatment plant, and from there it is pumped to the two underground Fergus Falls water reservoirs and the 500,000-gallon water tower.

Comments

    Editor's Picks