Water plant retro fitting to nearly double capacity
By Tim Leeds
Havre Water Plant Superintendent Jeff Jensen said he is asking Havre residents not to water their lawns May 7 through May 12.
Jensen said the water plant will be offline or with limited production during the week as new pipes are tied in for improvements being made on the plant, and any watering could seriously deplete the water supply for the city.
"I know it's bad, but it's what we have to do," Jensen said.
He said if the water supply was depleted by watering, it could cause serious problems if other situations arose, such as a fire. He said if the water supply is too low, the fire department might not be able to effectively fight fires.
Jensen said after the tie in is completed the plant will be back to full capacity. He said he will notify the people of Havre when it is completed.
The switch to the new pipes is part of an upgrade for the Havre plant that will nearly double it's capacity. The upgrade, designed by Carollo Engineers of Boise, Idaho, is projected to increase the maximum number of gallons per day at the plant from 3.5 million gallons to 6.1 million. It also will increase the number of filters, which will make it easier on the system.
Jensen said the upgrade won't be finished until next year, but this step is part of the construction that is required for it. He said the pipes have to be changed in size, so they have to be cut and tied in. That requires the operation to shut down for the two days.
The upgrade is intended to provide much more productive plant with more water available and less stress on the plant itself.
