Wells 7 and 9 Water Treatment Facility Completed

The first of three phases to the City of Dixon Water Treatment Facility is completed.  The project was completed by DJ Sickley from Peru, Illinois.  Phase one treats water at Wells 7 and 9.  Well 7 is located at 1025 Nachusa Ave and Well 9 is located at 1329 North Galena Ave.  The two plants have a capacity to treat 4.3 million gallons of water per day.

 The two plants have been in operation for the past 2 months. The City of Dixon Water Department employees have been trained and have come to know the water treatment procedure well.

 The new plants use Hydrous Manganese Oxide (HMO). The hydrous manganese oxides are created by reacting manganous sulfate with permanganate. These hydrous manganese oxides have high surface area that is negatively charged which gives it the ability to absorb positively charged ions, such as radium. Permanganate also: improves tastes and odors, controls iron and manganese, acts as an alternative pre-oxidant to chlorine in a trihalomethane control program and oxidizes and absorbs arsenic.

 On April 7, 2009 the City of Dixon took the first radium samples from the new HMO plants and expects to have the results in 6 to 8 weeks from that date. Iron tests have been completed weekly.  The results of these test show that 95 to 100% of the iron is being removed.  

 We are looking forward to starting phase 2 as early as the middle of May.  This project has been conditionally awarded depending on EPA funding. Project completion of phase 2 is expected a year after the start date.  The third and final phase will be bid in late 2009.