The upper board took action late Monday to address the city’s water supply issues.
At a special meeting, council voted unanimously to approve the rental and installation of a granular activated carbon treatment system at the city’s sewage treatment plant.
Since the Marshall fire, several residents have complained about the taste and odor of the city’s drinking water.
In the weeks following the fire, the water was tested and deemed safe to drink by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Boulder County Public Health. However, the taste and odor issue persisted for some Superior residents, so the city worked with an outside contractor, Corona Environmental Consulting, to conduct testing to find a solution.
Corona conducted bench-scale testing of different alternatives that could solve the problem of smoky water mitigation from the terminal tank and concluded that the installation of a granular activated carbon treatment system would solve the better the problem.
During the meeting, Corona President Chad Seidel expressed his confidence in the treatment system and its ability to remove contaminants from the water supply on a large scale.
The treatment system, supplied by Evoque Water Technologies LLC, will be installed in the coming weeks, according to Utilities Superintendent Jim Widner.
Although the council hoped to have the water system operational by mid-April, construction is unlikely to be completed before mid-May, Widner said.
After construction is complete and the system is installed, residents should see a difference in taste and smell after 3 to 5 days, said Alex Ariniello, director of public works and utilities.
The board chose to lease the system rather than purchase it outright. Some board members said they were concerned about the cost of the system and wondered if the city would receive funding from FEMA or the state, especially because the water problem is getting worse. is produced directly after the Marshall fire.
City Manager Matt Magley said he was unable to confirm whether the water system would be eligible for FEMA reimbursement; however, the council remained optimistic that state or federal funding for the water system would arrive in the coming months.
