By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Hoping to gain more efficiency and meet future demand, Whitewater’s water tower near Starin Park could soon be in for a makeover.
Before delving into the project, however, municipal officials are enlisting the services of a consultant by performing a study of the city’s water supply.
The Common Council on June 21 issued a contract, capped at $34,000, to Madison-based engineering firm Strand Associates.
In a memo, Assistant City Manager Chris McDonell said Strand’s findings will help in determining how municipal staffers should proceed in planning for the project.
“(The study) will provide information on what infrastructure will need to be replaced, if anything is undersized and will help to determine needed improvements based on different growth scenarios,” McDonell wrote in the memo.
A study of the city’s water-based infrastructure has been in the works. During budget deliberations late last year, the council agreed to place the item in the 2016 capital projects list.
In correspondence to the city, Strand staffers indicated their study will touch on a number of issues, including a look at how much water was extracted from the water tower tank during peak times in 2015.
The company also will review the city’s five largest water consumers’ historical usage records and fit that information into the equation of its recommendation.
Additionally, the company has indicated it will review Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources information for the area and review long-range population estimates for the surrounding area.
Whitewater has a longstanding relationship with Strand Associates for infrastructure-related projects.
