That’s the latest update provided by Dan Jonasson, Minot’s Public Works director, to the Minot City Council in October.

Bids are being taken on construction of a biota treatment facility near Max as construction of pipelines and reservoirs makes progress throughout the region. Construction that is adding two nine million gallon water-softening basins and associated improvements at the Minot Water Treatment Plant is expected to finish early next year.

“Essentially, we’re building another water plant,” Jonasson said. “When we get into the final stages, and everything’s all hooked together and working together, we’ll have 27 million gallons a day capacity to treat water.”

He also spoke to the council about the value-added initiative that is a first in North Dakota and is saving money at the water plant.

Submitted Photo Power generation equipment, installed as part of the ongoing Minot Water Treatment Plant expansion, has been generating 120 kilowatts of power a day since mid-September to operate the plant.

Water comes into the plant at a pressure too high. To reduce it, two water turbines were installed in mid-September as part of the water plant expansion. The turbines have been generating about 120 kilowatts of power a day.

“They are running our water treatment plant, providing all the electricity that we need at the plant. Any excess is being sold back into the grid,” Jonasson said. “We’ll be able to budget less for electricity. Right now, we spend in the neighborhood of $600,000 to $700,000 a year on electricity for all our different facilities for water treatment.”

The city’s water plant will be able to begin taking pre-treated water from Lake Sakakawea sometime after September 2023, according to estimates on construction plans for a biota treatment plant and intake structure. Substantial completion is expected in September 2023 if the project remains on track. At that point, operations could start. Water would flow to Minot once those operations are running smoothly. Full completion of the plant could happen by the end of 2023.

The bid opening on the estimated $61 million biota treatment plant will be Nov. 10. Funding is coming from the Bureau of Reclamation and a loan through the Bank of North Dakota, but the federal government is to reimburse the state for its costs.

Meanwhile, the Snake Creek Pump Station intake is nearing the end of its design phase. Permits are being sought from the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers.

“That has been a little lagging,” Jonasson said. “We’re trying to push them to expedite this.”

Depending on when permitted, the intake could go to bid this winter or spring. Another request for state funding also may need to be made of the 2021 Legislature if the existing appropriation is held back due to a shortfall in oil revenue this biennium. The project is expected to take two and half years.

“We have to have this project done so when the biota plant is up and operational, we have water to send to it,” Jonasson said.

Another project unrelated to new construction has been an assessment of the raw water line that would bring water from Lake Sakakawea to Minot. The idle pipeline has been in place since 2002. The assessment found a minor leak in one section and an inability to retain pressure in two other segments. Jonasson said the issues have been addressed, and it appears the 45-mile line will be ready to use when needed.

Additional NAWS construction is wrapping up this year, with more planned next year.

The 17.5-mile pipeline project from Renville Corner to Westhope was completed in January. The 18-mile loop also was completed from Lansford to Renville Corner, creating an alternate way to provide water through the NAWS system. The system was put in use in October.

The 15.25-mile Westhope Corner to Souris Corner pipeline, including a bore under the Souris River, is in progress. Equipment breakdowns slowed the boring but plans have been to complete that segment this fall.

The 14.5-mile segment of pipeline from Souris Corner to Bottineau will provide the final connection to the city of Bottineau and All Seasons Water Users District. The bid opening on the $5.5 million project is Nov. 9. The project should be completed by spring 2022. Bottineau and communities served by All Seasons could receive water from Minot until water from Lake Sakakawea flows, although the amount available won’t be enough to meet summer peak demand.

Bids were awarded Oct. 8 on a $9.2 million, 4.5-million-gallon reservoir and 2,500-gallon-per-minute pump station near Lansford. It includes an operations station for the State Water Commission. The project should be completed by June 2022.

The 10-million-gallon South Prairie Reservoir and hydraulic control structure remains in the design phase. It will be located near South Prairie School.

Reservoirs and pump stations also are planned to serve the Souris and Bottineau areas once pipelines are completed.

“In discussions I’ve had with the water commission staff, we’re going to be asking for about $45 million in state funding in the next biennium to keep NAWS moving forward, with a total request of $100 million. Some of that will be a line of credit – about $55 million.That’s just to continue the biota plant moving forward,” Jonasson said.

Funding will be requested for the Snake Creek Pump Station intake, Souris and Bottineau reservoir and to start the design of the final phase of expansion at the Minot Water Treatment Plant.

The final work at the water plant will replace the existing 12-million-gallon treatment basin. One of the two existing six-million-gallon basins will be removed and used as a sludge settling basin.