BEMIDJI-For the past six months Bemidji city staff have been scoping out every detail of its water supply as it prepares to add another well from which to draw.
On Monday, data collected from the effort will be presented to the City Council as a water supply plan for the city. In order to drill another well, a supply plan is required by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to obtain a permit.
Since 2008, Bemidji and the state have been aware of perfluorocarbons, or PFCs, in the area of the Bemidji Regional Airport, located just west of the city's water wells. Those chemicals were previously used in firefighting foams, which the Fire Department used in training.
In the past several years, the city has shut down three wells in response to detection of PFCs. Two wells remain in operation, though, providing safe water to the city. To provide a new water well to the city's system, the council approved a $2.15 million project.
According to the council's agenda, the plan covers topics such as annual water pumped by the city, the amount used by city customers, and projected water use in the future based on estimated population growth.
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The plan, attached to Monday's agenda, shows the city has a demand of 1.3 million gallons per day on average with today's population of about 15,000. By 2024, with a projected population of 17,000, the estimated daily demand is estimated to be 1.5 million gallons per day on average.
Other agenda items for the council on Monday include:
• Project options for a paved drop off area near the city's park on Lake Bemidji's South Shore, with cost ranges between $160,000-$200,000.
• A report on the project to restore the interior and exterior of the historic Carnegie Library along Bemidji Avenue North.
• A legislative update from District 5A Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji.
