The City of Morenci water treatment system upgrades are progressing, with a revised completion timeline of six weeks. As detailed in our previous updates, the City of Morenci’s Water Treatment Plant has been bypassing iron removal filtration to replace the iron removal filter media in the system’s four filtration tanks. This project, supported by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and funding from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), aims to reduce iron levels in our water to almost zero.
State and federal agency approval of subcontractor contracts caused a two-week delay, however, work on the water treatment system has now resumed. On July 29, 2024, sandblasting the interior of the four tanks began to remove decades of buildup, a process expected to take 2 weeks. Next, the backwash risers will be repaired or replaced depending on their state of deterioration, which is necessary for proper filter media backwashing. This work is estimated to take one week. Following the riser repairs, new coatings will be applied to the tank interiors, using materials certified by NSF/ANSI 61/600, approved by EGLE, and in compliance with AWWA Standards. Coating application and curing will take approximately 2 weeks. Once cured, the new iron removal filter media will be installed and each tank will be properly backflushed, which will take an additional week. The final step is to bring the filtration system back online.
The City of Morenci continues to maintain its commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of our water. Daily testing continues, with results being reported in real-time to EGLE. While the appearance of the water may temporarily vary due to the iron content, it remains safe for consumption. We look forward to completing this portion of the water system upgrades, which will provide long-term improvements to the water's appearance.
As the project progresses, residents will continue to be kept informed of updates or changes. For more information or questions, please contact the City of Morenci at (517) 458-6828.