The Hiawatha water treatment plant has been up and running for over two months, now, and the improved water quality has been earning rave reviews.
After years of unsafe nitrate levels, the plant’s ion exchange purification system has the city’s drinking water well within safe levels, and according to Hiawatha Water Superintendent Brad Scott, should keep them there for years to come.
Along with Sewer Superintendent Dave Grimm, Scott toured different types of treatment facilities in 2016, and after many meetings with engineering firm BG Consultants, settled on a final design, which was approved in 2017, with AHRS beginning construction on the $3.5 million project in late 2017 about 3 miles north of Hiawatha. Scott announced to the Hiawatha City Commission on Oct. 15 that the plant was up and running. The city’s nitrate levels immediately came down from a borderline to violation level average of 10 to 11 milligrams per liter to a safe level of 6 to 7 milligrams per liter.
“The plant will ensure the continuing quality for the citizens of Hiawatha for the foreseeable future,” said Scott, also noting that the plant allows the use of a high-nitrate well field that will take some strain off of other wells.
Dr. Julie Rosa’, M.D., of the Hiawatha Community Hospital, says the solution of the city’s nitrate problem means citizens can safely drink from the tap again.
(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)