City to blend L&C water with local well water

Luverne city officials are preparing for the arrival of water from Lewis and Clark Regional Water System in January.
The water will be piped from the Missouri River aquifer and will be blended with Luverne’s current water supply. Luverne City Council members spent time at their Dec. 15 meeting learning what to expect.
Attending Tuesday’s meeting were Red Arndt with Lewis and Clark, Al Lais with the city’s water department and Verne Jacobsen of TKDA engineering.
They said Lewis and Clark water is treated with chloramine disinfection, rather than with the current disinfectant, chlorine, and there are some precautions some residents will need to take.
In particular, customers with aquariums where living fish, animals or plants are kept will need to use de-chlorinator drops to remove chloramines. Tap water with only a slight amount of chloramine will kill fish in a short period of time, Jacobson said.
He said customers will also notice a slight change in taste during the time they become adjusted to the new blended water supply.
Chloramines are used in many public water supplies and pose no health risks, but Luverne city officials have mailed an informational letter to residents to answer questions they might have.
In addition to the precautions for home aquariums, the letter will advise dialysis patients not to use city water for dialysis treatments without special filters to remove chloramines.
The letter tells residents, “Water treated with chloramines is safe for drinking, bathing and other household uses,” and it includes a list of frequently asked questions, which are also posted on the city’s website, cityofluverne.org.
Chloramines last longer than chlorine and are necessary to accommodate the distance traveled and the time water spends in the pipeline. (Depending on demand, water can travel for weeks from the treatment plant in Vermillion before it reaches Luverne faucets.)
Unlike chlorine, which will dissipate after water sits for a few days, chloramines may take weeks to disappear.
In addition to noticing a different taste, residents may also notice their water will be softer after mixing with the new water supply.
In order to provide Luverne water users with consistent water quality, city staff will try to utilize 80 percent of the Lewis and Clark water and blend with 20 percent of city treated water.
Lewis and Clark Water is expected to arrive in Luverne early in January. A second letter will be sent at that time.