PIERRE, SD – Last year, the City of Pierre hired a consultant to study Pierre’s water system and its options for treating water. Tomorrow night, the Commission will hear the results of that study.
AE2S, the engineering consulting firm hired to complete the study, will give a presentation to the City Commission during their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening.
According to the City’s Utility Director, Brad Palmer, the study analyzed whether or not the City’s current water system has the capacity to meet the future needs of our community and looked into different ways the City could change its water treatment process.
“I expect that tomorrow night AE2S will deliver a recommendation to the City regarding treated water,” said Palmer. “I also expect they’ll provide us with the financial impact of that recommendation.”
The City began looking into treated water options following a community survey. The results show the majority of respondents thought the City should consider constructing a water treatment plant to combat the high mineral content found in Pierre’s current water supply.
“Central to this discussion is the cost of switching to a new treatment process and whether or not that change will provide us with a reliable supply,” said Palmer. “The study will enlighten us on both of those fronts.”
The Commission will take no action on the report tomorrow night; it is an informational item only.
“I’d really encourage the public to tune into the commission meeting for this presentation,” said Pierre Mayor Steve Harding. “This is a very important topic for our community, and this is a great opportunity for people to start getting informed on the issue.”
The Commission meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Commission Room at Pierre City Hall. It can also be viewed live on Oahe TV Channel 8, Channel 608 or at oahetv.com