BlaineMN.gov
CityConnect November/December 2021
What’s Inside
Water Treatment Plant #4 Now Online Doubles the City’s Capacity to Provide Treated Water Give Feedback on the Future of Northtown..............................................3
The City’s fourth water treatment plant (WTP4) is now online and is capable of treating 6,000 gallons of water every minute. Construction began in 2019 and the plant, located on Lexington Avenue NE next to the water tower, became operational in August 2021. The plant is fed by four municipal drinking water wells. The plant treats and filters water to remove the nautrally present dissolved iron and manganese, which provides water that tastes better and will not stain washing machines, sinks, or clothes. WTP4 will double the City’s water filtering capacity and, in conjunction with the other three water treatment plants, virtually eliminate the need to use the City’s seasonal unfiltered wells during times of peak demand. WTP4 will allow the City to deliver fully treated water to all residents and businesses. With WTP4 online the City will be able to meet water demands well into the future as the City becomes fully built out.
Organics Recycling Program Coming to Blaine .................................5
Celebrate Small Business Saturday...................................................8
WTP4 maximizes groundwater usage efficiency with additional considerations toward an environmentally conscious and sustainable facility and site design. Stakeholder input helped guide a design that promoted sustainability features including: • Maximum water efficiency processes • Reuse of rooftop rainwater for site irrigation • State of the art electrical and control systems • Protection and restoration of existing wetlands • Energy efficient lighting and pumping • Green landscape design including native • Green roofs to reduce stormwater runoff prairie grasses and trees • Ability to add rooftop solar energy panels Blaine is part of a group of communities, businesses, and agriculture in the north and east part of the metropolitan area who rely solely on groundwater for their water supply. This area is known as the North and East Metro Groundwater Management Area. This allows the DNR a more comprehensive and focused approach to ensure groundwater supplies remain adequate to meet human needs while protecting lakes, streams, and wetlands. Blaine WTP4 is providing future value to public works efforts by supplying safe water to the community while protecting natural resources by incorporating the highest water efficiency, and most efficient use of groundwater.
City of Blaine 10801 Town Square Drive NE Blaine MN 55449
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Momentum Continues for Improvements on Highway 65 In September the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee visited Blaine to hear a presentation on the need for improvements on Highway 65. This committee is responsible for crafting the House bonding bill in the Minnesota State Legislature. Mayor Sanders, members of the City Council, the Blaine legislative delegation, and city staff were on hand to present the obvious need for infrastructure improvements on Highway 65 through Blaine. The City has submitted a funding request for $18 million towards construction at the 99th Avenue intersection. Anoka County will be submitting a request for the 109th Avenue intersection. The City also has a future request for $25 million in construction funding for the 117th Avenue intersection. Federal grants and funding is also being sought to bring the project to fruition. Aside from these funding requests the City has previously secured enough funding to complete the corridor design and environment review process. Construction could begin as soon as 2022 on a new west side frontage road system with intersection construction beginning in 2024. This project still has a long way to go to be fully funded but the momentum at both the local and state level to invest in the future of Highway 65 has never been higher.