The City of Becker has been searching for additional municipal wells since 2009. In 2022-2023, the city added Wellhouse 4 and Wells 7 & 8 to the water supply system. Staff are working on using these assets to help meet water demand for city residents, especially during summer irrigation months.
City staff plan to start adding water to the supply system from Well 7 on Monday, May 22nd. As the water from these new wells mixes with water already in the supply system, residents may notice bubbles, cloudiness, or a yellowish color in their water. Staff expects these conditions to be temporary and go away as the water from the new wells is mixed with the water from the existing wells. These conditions do not make the water unsafe. Staff perform daily monitoring and testing of the Becker municipal water supply to ensure that the water continues to meet or exceed all standards set in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Why might you see these conditions in the water supply system?
- First, the water chemistry in Wells 7 and 8 is different than the water chemistry in the other four city wells. It may take a few days for the waters to fully mix and for the system to stabilize.
- Up to now, all the municipal wells for the city were on the west side of the Elk River and the areas of the city east of the Elk River were fed from the west. Wells 7 and 8 are located east of the Elk River, so their flow will be to the west. As flow patterns are changed within the water supply system, sediment in the pipes may be stirred up and moved into individual services resulting in water that has bubbles, is cloudy, or has a yellowish tint to it. If you notice this occurring, running a cold water tap in your home can help clear this water out of your service line. If the city receives reports of water concerns in an area, staff can flush hydrants to clear that water from the distribution system. As with the mixing of chemistries, the change in the water flow pattern could take a few days to stabilize. Staff will do additional monitoring of the water supply system to determine how the water chemistry and flow patterns are stabilizing. Chlorine is fed into the water as it enters the supply system for disinfection purposes. Staff monitor chlorine levels in the supply system daily and there is no health risk associated with using or drinking the water.
If you have questions related to the changes to the water supply system or have noticed any changes in your water and would like to report them, please reach out to the Public Works Department at 763-200-4275 and you will be connected with staff that can address your questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Chris Lisson
Public Works and Parks Assistant Director