HomeMy WebLinkAbout2040 Chapter 09 - Water SupplyCity of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 689
CHAPTER 9, WATER SUPPLY
9.1 Executive Summary
The purpose of this plan is to evaluate and update the City of Prior Lake’s water system plan.
This plan will evaluate future design considerations with regards to water system planning
and infrastructure, as well as current and future water demands. The existing facilities and
infrastructure are discussed along with the condition of the facilities. Future improvements
are discussed in this report with the intent of updating the water model to reflect how future
improvements will impact average day and maximum day pressures along with maximum
day fire flows in newly developed areas based on the City’s future land use planning.
The design period for this report is 20 years, yielding a design year of 2037. Future projections
for water usage are based on Metropolitan Council population projections and the 2005
through 2016 historical water usage for the City of Prior Lake. Historically, from 2005 to 2016,
the City of Prior Lake saw an increase in population served of 16.5%, from 21,395 in 2005 to
25,616 in 2016.
Population is a driving factor in water demands and the per capita demand for a community.
Historically for Prior Lake, the residential demand and total per capita demands have
averaged 70 and 95.3 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) from 2005 through 2016,
respectively. Average day demand has remained relatively consistent over the 10-year
historical period. The historical average of the average day demand is 2.20 MGD.
Maximum day demand has seen a more significant decline since 2005. Two major peaks
occurred in 2007 and 2012, which correspond to years with drought and thus increased water
usage for activities like lawn irrigation. In 2007, the maximum day demand was 7.03 MGD,
while in 2012 the maximum day demand reached 6.61 MGD. Overall, the maximum day
demand shows a steadily decreasing demand. The average maximum day demand over the
previous 10 years is 5.58 MGD.
Evaluation of the categorical water usage indicates that residential water accounts for 76%
of the total water used. Irrigation accounts for the second largest use category with 10% of
the total water. The City water usage is third at 5% of the total water usage. Commercial
water use comes in fourth at 4% of the total water, followed by unaccounted for water (3%)
and lastly institutional water (2%).
Water demand projections indicate that by the design year of 2037, the average day demand
is expected to be 3.13 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) with a maximum day demand of 7.42
MGD. The current Water Treatment Facility (WTF) is designed to handle 7.5 MGD, and the
maximum day demand is encroaching the current WTF capacity. Water storage is another
important factor in evaluation of the infrastructure. Currently, there is enough storage for
current demands however by the year 2040 there will be at a small deficit in storage.
However, any clearwell storage from SMSC water treatment facilities is not accounted for in
this report. no longer be enough storage for the average gallons per day.
Analysis of the storage capacity for future demands indicates that by the design year of 2037,
there will be a surplus in storage capacity of approximately 117,000 gallons. AWWA
recommends that the storage capacity be equal to or greater than the average day demands.
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With a storage capacity of 3.25 million gallons (MG), Prior Lake currently is within this
recommendation’s limits.
Water supply for Prior Lake is from 7 municipal wells and from two interconnections. The
City has two interconnections, one with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
(SMSC) and one from the City of Savage. With these two interconnections, the City is
provided with a sufficient water supply. However, if these two interconnections are not
included, the addition of well 10 is required by 2028 to maintain a firm well capacity (capacity
with the largest well out of service) greater than the maximum day demand.
Historical water model figures, which are found in Section 9.2 of this report, were used to
evaluate the distribution system to ensure it has adequate pressures and fire flows. The water
model indicates that the City maintains a pressure of greater than 30 – 40 psi throughout the
system at average and maximum day flows. It is recommended by Ten States Standards to
maintain at least 35 psi in the system at any one time. The City currently exceeds this
recommendation. The City currently has fire flows that exceed 3,500 gallons per minute (gpm)
throughout most of the City. The Insurance Service Office (ISO) has recommendations for
fire flows based in residential areas. Using these recommendations, the City of Prior Lake
was determined to have exceeded the recommended fire flows.
Future improvements are based on the future land use map found in Appendix A. The
updated water model figures include maps showing: future improvements and infrastructure,
average day pressure, maximum day pressure, and maximum day fire flows. The goal for the
water model update was to evaluate how future development will affect the pressures and
fire flows throughout the system and to determine what new infrastructure and watermains
are required to maintain 40 – 50 psi at average day flows throughout the future land use
areas. The main improvements to the system include looping new watermains and extending
existing watermains to maintain adequate pressure. Future capital improvements along with
preliminary costs are presented at the end of this report. This report should be continually
updated and modified as the City of Prior Lakes’ water system changes and as water
demands change through the design year of 2037.
9.2 Water System Design Criteria
A. GENERAL
This Section of the Plan develops the performance criteria under which the water system
will be evaluated and/or designed. This involves an evaluation of historical population and
future growth, water use patterns and projections, water storage requirements, required
fire flows, and the distribution system pressure requirements. This section will form the
design basis of the Water Plan. The water model for the City of Prior Lake will be
instrumental in developing future design criteria guidelines related to the distribution
system.
B. DESIGN PERIOD
Typically, water systems and the infrastructure are designed on a 20-year design period,
as there are significant capital improvements required after 20 years to improve hydraulic
capacity, efficiency, or by replacing process components. Therefore, the design period
for this water plan update will go through 2037.
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 691
Future projections for water usage are based on Metropolitan Council population
projections and the 2005 through 2016 historical water usage for the City of Prior Lake.
The 2005 through 2016 water usage is used as a basis to justify demand projections. It
does not mean that the current trends will be exact in future years, but the trends are
accurate enough that any departure from projected assumptions is considered minor and
will not impact the timing of any recommendations proposed throughout the design period
of this report.
This plan should be revisited and updated as necessary to ensure that the system
implementation is keeping pace with development, and forecasted population and water
demands. Generally, every 10 years the recommendations and capital improvements
should be refined based on new data and population projections. Another tool that is
useful for water use planning purposes is the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (MN DNR) Water Supply Plan (WSP). The WSP is required every 10 years by
each community serving more than 1,000 people. The WSP must be approved by both
the MN DNR and the Metropolitan Council as required by law. Since the WSP is required
every 10 years, it is recommended to update this Comprehensive plan and the WSP at
the same time. The most current Prior Lake Third Generation Water Supply Plan was
submitted on October 4, 2017.
C. PLANNING AREA
The planning area for this report is identified by the City and includes existing land use
and future land use for Prior Lake through 2040. The existing and future land use maps
are found in Appendix A. The future land use map indicates that there is sufficient land to
meet the anticipated growth needs for the City of Prior Lake through 2037.
D. POPULATION AND WATER USE
Population projections are based on the Metropolitan Councils population projections
through 2040. These projections take into account historical population trends, current
land use, and future land use to predict populations.
1. Historical Population and Water Use
Population is associated with water use more than any other factor. Once a per capita
demand is established, it is possible to predict future populations and future water
demands using that data. The per capita demand is typically determined based on
historical data over the last 10-years omitting extremely high or low demands as they
can skew the data and make future projections unrealistic. Table 9.1 shows the 10-
year historical population and water demands for the City of Prior Lake.
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Table 9.1: Historical Water Demand
Year
Population (1) Average
Demand
(MGD)
Max Day
Demand
(MGD)
Residential
Per Capita
Usage (gpcd)
Total Per
Capita
Usage
(gpcd)
2005 21,395 1.93 5.66 61.3 90.3
2006 21,542 2.27 5.98 72.7 105.2
2007 22,111 2.44 7.03 80.9 110.5
2008 22,917 2.32 6.42 73.8 101.1
2009 23,335 2.41 5.78 75.0 103.1
2010 22,796 2.11 4.54 68.1 92.6
2011 23,010 2.22 5.00 71.1 96.6
2012 23,385 2.49 6.61 79.8 106.6
2013 24,223 2.25 6.12 69.6 92.7
2014 24,911 2.02 5.10 62.4 81.2
2015 24,732 2.00 4.25 62.3 81.0
2016 25,616 2.12 4.52 62.7 82.7
Average 2.22 5.58 70.0 95.3
(1) Population estimates are from the MN State Demographer
From 2005 to 2016, the City of Prior Lake saw an increase in population served of
16.5%, from 21,395 in 2005 to 25,616 in 2016. The population trend has steadily
increased over the last 10 years. Based on the historical population, it is anticipated
that the projected population will follow similar growth trends.
Residential per capita demand is calculated based on the volume of water used by
residential customers. The majority of water used within the City is for residential use
and is discussed below. The residential per capita demand has averaged 70.0 gallons
per capita per day (gpcd) from 2005 through 2016. Typically, it is desirable to maintain
a residential demand less than 75 gpcd. Prior Lake’s conservation utility billing and
educational efforts will help to keep the residential demand below this threshold.
The total per capita demand averages 95.3 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) from
2005 through 2016. When the data from 2011 through 2016 is evaluated, the average
day demand is 87 gpcd. This decrease in average per capita demand reflects water
conservation measures the City has been implementing for the last several years. The
per capita demand had a peak in 2012 due to a relatively moderate drought that
occurred that year. This peak does not represent the trend in per capita demand and
is considered an outlier in the data set from 2011 through 2016. Future water usage
was based on the 2001 through 2016 average per capita demand. Overall, per capita
demand shows a decreasing trend over the last 10 years as water conservation
measures were implemented and education about water conservation becomes more
public and easier to find. Starting in 2014, the City began purchasing water from
SMSC. Based on the data in Table 9.1, when the City began purchasing water, the
total per capita demand decreased from the previous year’s demands. This could also
be attributed to increased rainfall in the Metropolitan region during those years.
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Average day demand has remained relatively consistent over the 10-year historical
period. The historical average of the average day demand is 2.20 MGD. Similar to the
per capita demand, 2012 saw a slight peak in average day demand due to drought
conditions that persisted during the summer months. Overall, there have not been any
major fluctuations in average day demand. However, the demand has slightly
decreased since 2012, which could be represented by increased precipitation and
efforts by the City to implement water conservation techniques and programs.
Maximum day demand has seen a more significant decline since 2005. Two major
peaks occurred in 2007 and 2012, which correspond to years with drought and
reduced precipitation. In 2007, the maximum day demand was 7.03 MGD, while in
2012, the maximum day demand was 6.61. Overall, the maximum day demand shows
a steadily decreasing demand. The average maximum day demand over the previous
10 years is 5.58 MGD. As the demand continues to decrease, this drives the peaking
factor down since the max day demand becomes closer to the average day demand.
The most significant decrease in max day demand occurred from 2012 to 2016, which
is similar to the average day demand and the total per capita demand over the same
timeframe. Maximum day demands are most likely decreasing due to the
implementation of water conservation measures and education about conserving
water being more easily accessible to customers. The graph below represents the
trends in average and maximum day demands from 2005 through 2016.
Average Day Demand Max Day Demand
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
2. Water Use by Category
One way to analyze water consumption and historical demands is to observe who
uses the water. Categorizing water use within a community can provide insight on
where to prioritize water conservation efforts and provides valuable information when
making future water demand projections. The average water consumption by
category for residential, commercial, industrial, and other uses is shown below. Demand (MGD)
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As discussed above, residential water usage is the largest category in the City of Prior
Lake. The land use promotes residential development driving the water use up in this
category. There is limited commercial and industrial development in Prior Lake
making these water use categories much smaller than the residential demand. The
residential demand consists of typical household uses including lawn and garden
watering, flushing toilets and taking showers, running washing machines, cooking,
cleaning, and all other household water uses. As shown in Table 9.1, the residential
per capita demand is 70.0 gpcd and according to chart above, residential water
accounts for 76% of the total water. Irrigation accounts for the second largest use
category with 10% of the total water. The City water usage is third at 5% of the total
water usage.
This category includes water used by the City for hydrant flushing, ice-skating rinks,
vehicle washing, backwashing at the Water Treatment Facility and any other water
used by the City for daily operations. Commercial water use comes in fourth at 4% of
the total water, followed by unaccounted for water (3%) and lastly institutional water
(2%).
3. Seasonal Water Use
Seasonal water use was evaluated for Prior Lake with results found in Table 9.2. The
table shows total volume of water used in the summer months compared to the winter
months. For the purpose of this evaluation, summer months were considered May
through September and winter months were October through April.
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Table 9.2: Average Seasonal Water Demands
Year Population Summer
Usage (MG)
Winter Usage
(MG)
Summer Per Capita
Demand (gpcd)
Winter Per Capita
Demand (gpcd)
2005 21,395 406 298 52.0 38.2
2006 21,542 515 311 65.6 39.6
2007 22,111 580 312 71.9 38.6
2008 22,917 532 314 63.6 37.5
2009 23,335 561 317 65.9 37.3
2010 22,796 430 341 51.7 41.0
2011 23,010 474 338 56.4 40.2
2012 23,385 579 331 67.8 38.8
2013 24,223 499 320 56.5 36.2
2014 24,911 422 316 46.5 34.7
2015 24,732 409 322 45.3 35.7
2016 25,616 457 316 48.9 33.8
Average 489 320 57.7 36.7
Results indicate that summer demand is on average 33% greater than winter
demands. This is evident by looking at the total water usage between the seasons
and by looking at the summer per capita demand versus the winter per capita
demand. One key reason for larger summer demands is lawn irrigation. Lawn
irrigation is commonly a large water use category during summer months that can
drive up the total volume of water used during that season. Conserving water with
respect to lawn irrigation is discussed in Section 9.4 of this report.
The purpose of evaluating seasonal demands is to determine if the City has sufficient
infrastructure to handle peak demands. As indicated in Table 9.1, historical maximum
day demands are commonly above 5.5 MGD. Evaluating seasonal demands will
ensure that consideration is given for planning future improvements to handle the
seasonal variations in water demand. The winter usage provides a good baseline
water usage while summer water usage provides key design details that should be
considered with future planning. Based on the above table, the City has sufficient
infrastructure to handle peak summer month flows. However, as the population
continues to grow and housing with lawn irrigation expands, this will drive up the
summer demands to a point where additional infrastructure may need to be
discussed.
4. Projected Population and Water Use
Historic water use (average and maximum day demands) and population projections
can be utilized to help make future water projections. It is also important to consider
changing trends in the amount of growth expected in the industrial and commercial
sectors. These consumers can use large volumes of water for process and general
operation of industry. Expansions of this sector can greatly influence future water
demands. Historically, the City of Prior Lake does not have a large industrial or
commercial water demand. Based on 2016 data, the largest commercial or industrial
water user required only 0.4% of the total annual water delivered to the distribution
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 696
system. There are no known anticipated large volume water users planning on
locating in Prior Lake. Commercial and industrial use is anticipated to follow historical
trends and grow as population increases. Residential demand will drive future water
projections. The future demand forecast is shown in Table 9.3.
Table 9.3: Water Demand Forecast
Year
Projected
Total
Population (1)
Projected
Population
Served
Projected Total
Per Capita Water
Demand (GPCD)
Projected
Average Daily
Demand (MGD)
Projected
Maximum Daily
Demand (MGD) (2)
2016 25,616 25,616 83 2.12 4.52
2017 25,941 25,941 87 2.25 5.43
2018 26,401 26,401 87 2.29 5.53
2019 26,951 26,951 87 2.34 5.64
2020 27,500 27,500 87 2.39 5.76
2021 28,000 28,000 87 2.43 5.86
2022 28,500 28,500 87 2.48 5.97
2023 29,000 29,000 87 2.52 6.07
2024 29,500 29,500 87 2.56 6.18
2025 30,000 30,000 87 2.61 6.28
2030 32,500 32,500 87 2.82 6.77
2037 (3) 36,070 36,070 87 3.13 7.42
2040 37,600 37,600 87 3.27 7.67
(1) Total Population Projections based on Metropolitan Council population projections
(2) Peaking Factor based on historical data
(3) Design Year
Water demand projections in Table 9.3 were based on historical trends and the
increase in population. Metropolitan Council System Statements were used to for
population projections through 2040. It is assumed that the projected service
population will equal the projected total population as all future residents will be
required to connect to the City’s distribution system.
The historical total per capita demand from 2011 through 2016 (excluding 2012) of 87
gallons per capita per day (gpcd) was used to make water demand projections
through 2040. This excludes 2012, which was a dry year, which led increased water
usage and a much higher per capita demand over the previous two years and
following four years. It can be acceptable to omit years with extreme drought or
extreme precipitation as outliers as they can skew the data and make future
projections unrealistic. Based on historical trends in per capita demand and future
population projections, it is likely that the total per capita demand will remain
consistent around 87 gpcd through 2040. The reason 2011 through 2016 data was
used (excluding 2012) was that the City has implemented water conservation
measures over the last several years and the per capita demand reflects those efforts.
It is important to consider these water conservation measures when making
projections as they can help make accurate projections with regards to the City’s plan
of conserving water and reducing per capita demands.
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 697
The projected average day demand was calculated by multiplying the projected total
per capita demand of 87 gpcd by the projected service area population. The projected
average day demand shows a slightly increasing demand because the average day
demand is calculated based on population. As the population increases and the per
capita demand remains constant, the average day demand will slightly increase. By
the design year of 2037, a projected average day demand of 3.13 MGD is expected.
The projected maximum day demand was calculated by multiplying the average day
demand by a peaking factor. The peaking factor used to calculate the projected
maximum day demand is the average peaking factor from 2011 through 2016 of 2.41.
This peaking factor was used to project maximum day demands up to 2030. Ten
States Standards has recommendations for peaking factors using an empirical
equation that calculates peaking factors based on a community’s population. Based
on Ten States Standards recommendations, as the population increases, the peaking
factor will decrease. Therefore, as Prior Lakes’ population continues to increase, they
should theoretically see a decreasing peaking factor. Using Ten States Standards
recommendations, the peaking factor for 2030 and 2040 are 2.40 and 2.35
respectively. Reducing the peaking factor also accounts for improved technology and
more water efficient appliances and water conservation programs that may be
implemented in the City. Using these criteria, a projected maximum day demand of
7.42 MG is projected in the design year of 2037.
5. Future Water Storage Requirements
AWWA recommends that the storage capacity should equal or exceed average day
demands. Considerations for improving storage capacity are based on the existing
infrastructure and the ability to maintain a storage capacity equal to or greater than
the future water use projections found above. Table 9.4 presents the future storage
capacity requirements necessary for Prior Lake.
Year Service Area
Population
Average Day
(GPD)
Existing Elevated
Storage (gallons)
Existing Ground
Storage (gallons)
Storage Excess/
Deficit (gallons)
2016 25,616 2,117,797 1,750,000 1,500,000 1,132,203
2017 25,941 2,253,084 1,750,000 1,500,000 996,916
2018 26,401 2,293,037 1,750,000 1,500,000 956,963
2019 26,951 2,340,807 1,750,000 1,500,000 909,193
2020 27,500 2,388,490 1,750,000 1,500,000 861,510
2021 28,000 2,431,917 1,750,000 1,500,000 818,083
2022 28,500 2,475,344 1,750,000 1,500,000 774,656
2023 29,000 2,518,771 1,750,000 1,500,000 731,229
2024 29,500 2,562,198 1,750,000 1,500,000 687,802
2025 30,000 2,605,625 1,750,000 1,500,000 644,375
2030 32,500 2,822,760 1,750,000 1,500,000 427,240
2037 (1)36,070 3,132,830 1,750,000 1,500,000 117,170
2040 37,600 3,265,717 1,750,000 1,500,000 -15,717
(1) Design Year
Table 9.4: Storage Capacity Requirements
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 698
Based on the table above, by the design year of 2037, an excess storage capacity of 117,170
gallons are expected. There is enough storage capacity through the design year of 2037. The
existing ground storage is included in the capacity because a backup generator is located at
the site which can run pumps to convey water into the distribution system during a power
failure. Currently, there is enough storage for current demands. However, by the year 2040
there will be at a small deficit in storage. However, any clearwell storage from SMSC water
treatment facilities are not accounted for in this report. no longer be enough storage for the
average gallons per day.
E. DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1. Watermain Sizing Requirements
Ten States Standards recommends the minimum size of watermain for providing fire
protection and serving fire hydrants to be 6-inches in diameter, with larger mains
required if necessary. In addition, velocities in long watermain segments should be
between 2 and 10 feet per second (fps) with average flows less than 5 fps, with 10
fps being acceptable during emergency withdrawals for short durations.
2. Pressure Requirements
Water pressures are subject to individual preference. What some may view as
adequate pressure may be viewed as too much or too little pressure. Municipalities
are challenged with balancing pressure with demand and capacity of the system along
with conservation of water. Typically, higher pressures equate to higher flow rates,
but increases the volume of water lost through crack and broken pipes.
Ten States Standards recommends the minimum working pressure in the distribution
system should be 35 psi with normal working pressures ranging from 60 – 80 psi. The
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) along with Ten States Standards requires the
system to maintain a minimum pressure of at least 20 psi at ground level at all points
in the distribution system under all flow conditions. This ensures that there is adequate
water pressure in the event of a long-term power failure or during an emergency. The
City of Prior Lake desires to have at least 40 – 50 psi in the distribution system for
normal operation. Future consideration should be given to new developments to
maintain pressures greater than 40 – 50 psi.
3. Water Distribution Model
The water model for Prior Lake was updated for this report to show the impacts of
future improvements to the system. Future improvements are discussed in Section
9.3 of this report. The model was updated based on future zoning within the City of
Prior Lake. The projected water model including an updated anticipated distribution
system map, anticipated average and maximum day pressure maps, and an
anticipated maximum day fire flow map are provided in Section 9.3. The
improvements relate to improving fire flow where possible and adding new watermain
into areas that are slated for future development. The water model should be used as
a tool to evaluate if additional infrastructure is required in the distribution system.
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9.3 Existing Water System Facilities and Infrastructure
A. General
The City of Prior Lake water system consists of seven (7) active wells (includes one well
used for peak demands only), two (2) elevated storage tanks, one (1) booster station, one
(1) pressure service area, four (4) pressure reducing valves, and a system of trunk and
lateral watermains varying in sizes from 6 inches to 24 inches. Existing trunk watermain
and major water system infrastructure are presented in Figure 9.1.
B. Water Supply
1. Wells
The City of Prior Lake’s water supply currently consists of seven wells. A summary of
the existing well data and pumping capacities is presented in Table 9.5.
Table 9.5: Prior Lake Well Information
Well No. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Year Installed 1973 1975 1988 2001 2003 2006 2007
Inner Casing Dia. (in.) 16 16 24 & 16 30 & 24 12 24 N/A
Total Depth (ft) 364 345 372 410 640 402 N/A
Capacity (gpm) 1200 1100 1000 1200 450 1200 450
Capacity (MGD)(1) 1.44 1.32 1.20 1.44 0.54 1.44 0.54
(1) Assumes wells pump for 20 hours per day
Wells 7 and 9 are the lowest producing wells available, with each having a capacity
of 450 gallons per minute (gpm). Wells 3, 6, and 8 are the largest capacity wells, each
capable of producing 1,200 gpm. However, well number 6 is not connected to the
City’s Water Treatment Facility (WTF) and is only used to supplement the water
supply to meet maximum day demands. All the wells pump water from the Prairie du-
Chein Jordan Aquifer.
One way to evaluate the pumping capacity and the ability of the wells to meet
maximum day demands, it to evaluate the total and firm well capacities. The total well
capacity is the total capacity of all the wells pumping together to supply water. The
firm well capacity is the pumping capacity of all the wells without the largest producing
well in service. Typically, firm well capacity is used to measure whether there is
enough supply to meet demands. If the firm well capacity is not greater than or equal
to the maximum day demand, then there is insufficient water supply to provide enough
water to meet demands. Table 9.6 presents the total and firm well capacities for the
Prior Lake wells based on pumping for 20 hours per day or 24 hours per day. Using
20 hours per day for well pumping is typical, as it allows for pump maintenance, partial
aquifer recharge, and pump cycling based on elevated storage tank levels. Pumping
for 24 hours represents an emergency in which the City is trying to supplement an
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extremely large demand by running the wells constantly.
Table 9.6: Prior Lake Well Pumping Capacity to WTF
Item 20-Hour Pumping (1) 24-Hour Pumping (1)
Firm Capacity Total Capacity Firm Capacity Total Capacity
Well Capacity (gpm) 4,200 5,400 4,200 5,400
Well Capacity (MGD) 5.04 6.48 6.05 7.78
(1) Firm and Total Capacities do not include Well No. 6 as this well is available for emergency use only
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 701
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.1: Existing Water Distribution System
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 702
2. Interconnections
To supplement water supply and to make up for deficits in pumping capacity during
maximum day demands, the City of Prior Lake has agreements with the Shakopee
Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) and with the City of Savage to purchase
water to supplement the City’s water supply. The agreement with Savage allows the
City to use up to 1 million gallons of water per day. The current agreement between
SMSC and Prior Lake allows Prior Lake to purchase up to 2.2 million gallons of water
per day. As the population of SMSC grows and water use increases, the total volume
of water the City can utilize decreases to 1.5 million gallons. However, the City will
always be able to use up to 1.5 million gallons of water per day in the future from
SMSC per the agreement. Table 9.7 shows the total capacity including the amounts
available from SMSC.
Table 9.7: Prior Lake Well Pumping and SMSC Capacity
Item 20-Hour Pumping (1) 24-Hour Pumping (1)
Firm Capacity Total Capacity Firm Capacity Total Capacity
Well Capacity (MGD) 5.04 6.48 6.05 7.78
SMSC Capacity (MGD) 1.5 1.5 2.2 2.2
Total Capacity (MGD) 6.54 7.98 8.25 9.98
(1) Firm and Total Capacities do not include Well No. 6 as this well is available for emergency use only
The City began using the interconnection with SMSC in 2014. Since then, they have
purchased 159, 231, and 270 million gallons of water in 2014, 2015, and 2016,
respectively. The interconnections with SMSC and Savage have helped provide a
supplemental water source to meet the City’s maximum day demands.
3. Impacts on Aquifer Pumping Levels
The City of Prior Lake monitors their supply wells with their SCADA system. The
SCADA system collects readings on the well water levels every 15 minutes. The data
that is collected can be used to view trends in the water levels to adjust the well to
optimize pumping or to determine if there is an issue with the supply in the well. The
resulting well hydrographs are presented in Appendix B. It is important to note that
the data is presented as the monthly average well water level.
The hydrographs show that well water levels are either stable or show an increasing
trend. An increasing trend means that the water levels are rising over the monitoring
period. Based on the hydrographs, wells 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 show stable trends in water
levels. Even though the well water levels appear to fluctuate significantly through the
monitoring period, as can be seen for Well No. 7, the overall trend remains stable.
Wells 4 and 8 show an increasing trend in water levels over the monitoring period.
One piece of data that can be collected from the hydrographs is the feet of fluctuation
of the water levels. Observing the seasonal variation of water level can help determine
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 703
if there are times of the year when a well has limitations or if there is an issue if
pumping capacity becomes limited. Overall, none of the wells for Prior Lake fluctuate
significantly. During the drought in 2012, almost all wells have a significant drop in
water level elevation. 2012 was the summer that put extreme stress on the water
system as peak day demands became very large. Even with the higher than normal
usage in 2012, the well water levels recovered to previous levels within the next
couple of years. Prior Lake’s wells appear to be stable with no significant concerns
over water levels at each well. Gaps in the data indicate a time when the SCADA
measurement system was not properly calibrated, or it was non-functional.
C. WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES
Prior Lake has a single Water Treatment Facility (WTF) with a design capacity of 7.5
MGD. The WTF was constructed in 2009 with the intent of removing iron (Fe) and
manganese (Mg) from the raw well water. Water quality data is discussed later in the
Section. The facility has an aerator to oxidize the iron and manganese in the water. Water
then flows into a detention tank to allow the oxidized particles to settle. The detention time
is approximately 30 minutes. After detention, the water enters one of six gravity filters.
The filters are dual media filters comprised of a silica sand under anthracite coal. There
is approximately 30 inches of media in each filter (15 inches of each material). Potassium
permanganate is added prior to the water entering the filters. The purpose of the
potassium permanganate is to oxidize any remaining manganese in the water. The
filtered water is collected in a 1.5-million-gallon water reservoir. Water is transferred to
the distribution system by the High Service Pumps (HSP). Chemical additions and their
purpose include:
• Chlorine – used for disinfection
• Fluoride – used to help prevent tooth decay
• Polyphosphate – used to prevent corrosion in the distribution pipes
The WTF is operated by a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. A
large diesel generator serves as a backup to run the WTF in the event of a power failure.
The WTF is designed based on a 20-year design period and is capable of handling current
average and max day flows as determine by the analysis in Section 9.2 for future
demands. With proper maintenance and upkeep and with the data provided in Table 9.3,
the WTF has adequate capacity.
D. WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
The water distribution system consists of all the components necessary to convey water
from the wells or storage facilities to customers in the system.
1. Piping Network/Watermain Routing
The City of Prior Lake water distribution piping consists of 6 inch through 20-inch
diameter cast or ductile iron pipe. The larger (16 – 20 inch) pipes run under large trunk
highways. These pipes convey large volumes of water throughout the City until
smaller lateral pipes (less than 16 inch) convey water in neighborhoods. The majority
of watermain in the City ranges from 6 inch to 10 inch.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 704
The watermains are looped within the City as to not have a dead-end pipe, which
could create water quality concerns. The watermains loop around and connect so the
water flows in a path. Parts of the system do have branched systems that are not
looped.
Consideration should be given to looping larger diameter watermains with future
expansion. Extending watermain to future developments and providing looping can
help with maintaining adequate system pressure.
Hydrant flushing is an important maintenance activity to clean out dead end
watermains. The City has been proactive in performing hydrant flushes on critical
watermains. The water distribution-piping network has been well maintained and will
continue to serve the customers of Prior Lake.
2. Pressure Service Areas
Prior Lake is served by a single pressure service area from two elevated storage tanks
and one reservoir at the WTF. Four (4) Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV’s) on the
northern edge of town help by regulating pressures in neighborhoods whom could
otherwise have extremely high or low pressures. There are two booster stations in the
City. One serves one area in the northwestern side of town near the Wilds golf course
and the other serves the Summit Preserve area just north of Co. Rd. 42 and east of
Co. Rd. 18.
3. System Pressures
As discussed above, the City of Prior Lake is served by a single pressure service
area. Both elevated towers and the ground reservoir serve the entire City. Figure 9.2
presents the existing average day pressures throughout the distribution system.
Based on the figure, a majority of the City has pressures greater than 50 psi. Around
the lake, (typically areas with the lowest elevation) pressures are in excess of 70 psi.
This covers the downtown area of Prior Lake as well. Areas on the far southern and
western areas of the City have pressures that dip down into the 40 – 50 psi range.
Only areas that are near the city limits have pressures in the 30 – 40 psi range.
However, development is limited in these areas. The area around the Wilds golf
course has pressures ranging from 50 – 70 psi. The system appears to have adequate
pressures to supply water at average day demands throughout the City.
Figure 9.3 presents the existing system maximum day pressure. This is the pressure
throughout the system during maximum day demands. When compared to Figure 9.2,
the maximum day pressures slightly decrease throughout the City. Areas around the
lake (typically the lowest portions of the City) maintain a similar system pressure
around 70 – 80 psi (within 10 psi of average day pressures). The greatest impacts
during maximum day are on the South side of the City where in some neighborhood’s
pressures drop from 70 – 80 psi down to 50 – 60 psi. The downtown area of Prior
Lake still maintains adequate pressures during max day demands with pressures
ranging from 50 – 70 psi. Even though these are impacted the most, the system
pressure is still adequate throughout the City.
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 705
Figure 9.5 shows the existing Hydraulic Grade Line (HGL) throughout the City as
indicated by the model. The HGL is consistent between 1,000 – 1,200 feet for a
majority of the City. On the outskirts of town, in areas where development is limited,
the HGL begins to decrease. This is due to less water infrastructure in these areas
and the limited development. The majority of the City maintains a sufficient HGL
according to the water model. Figure 9.6 indicates that the HGL ranges from 950 –
1,200 feet during maximum day demands. Again, on the western and southern edges
of the City where development is limited and there is less infrastructure, the HGL
begins to decrease in elevation. Even still, the majority of the area in City limits
maintains an adequate HGL during maximum day demands.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 706
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.2: Existing Average Daily Pressure
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 707
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.3: Existing Maximum Day Pressure
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 708
E. WATER DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES
1. Pressure Reducing Valves
Four (4) Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV’s) are used on the norther edge of the
City to help maintain adequate pressures. The PRV’s are operated and maintained
by the City. These stations help prevent excess pressures in the areas around the
Wilds golf course. The PRV’s are in good condition. In addition, there is a check
valve located downstream of the Summit Preserve neighborhood at the intersection
of Kensington and Co. Rd. 42. The check valve is meant to keep high pressure flow
from moving south of Co. Rd. 42. However, should the Summit Preserve booster
station fail or be taken off line for some reason, water would still be able to flow into
the Summit Preserve neighborhood through the check valve.
2. Booster Stations
Currently, Prior Lake operations one booster station located just west of the
intersection of Wilds Parkway NW with Wood Duck Trail NW. The area around the
Wilds golf course is at a higher elevation than a majority of the City. The existing
water towers do not provide sufficient hydraulic grade to maintain adequate water
pressures in this area. The booster station helps to increase water pressure and
flow in this area. Based on the water model shown in Figures 9.2 and 9.3, the
booster station maintains a pressure of greater than 40 – 50 psi during both average
day and maximum day. The booster station is in good condition to continue to
supply water for future demands.
A new booster station is planned to be installed in 2018 in the Summit Preserve
area. The current model for maximum day pressures (Figure 9.3) indicates that at
the north side of the development, pressures drop to around 30 - 40 psi. This new
booster station will increase pressure and flows to the new Summit Preserve
development.
F. WATER STORAGE FACILITIES
1. Types and Capacity of Storage Facilities
Currently, the City of Prior Lake has three storage facilities totaling 3.25 million
gallons of storage capacity. There are two elevated storage facilities with a capacity
of 1.75 million gallons. In 2009, the City constructed a new Water Treatment Facility
(WTF), which contains a large reservoir that has pumps and backup generator.
Since there are pumps and a generator that can pump the water in the event of a
power failure, the 1.5-million-gallon reservoir at the WTF is included in the total
storage capacity. A summary of the storage facilities is presented in Table 9.8.
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 709
Table 9.8: Water Storage Facilities Summary
Structure Name Location Type of Storage
Structure
Year
Constructed
Primary
Material
Storage Capacity
(Gallons)
South Tower Tower St. SE Elevated storage 1973 Steel 750,000
North Tower Cedarwood St. SE Elevated storage 1986 Steel 1,000,000
WTP Clearwell 16335 Itasca Ave. SE Ground storage 2009 Concrete 1,500,000
Total 3,250,000
AWWA recommends that the storage capacity should equal or exceed the average
day demand. Based on the historical data provided in Table 9.1, the current storage
capacity is adequate for current average day demands. Using Table 9.4, the
analysis of storage capacity, and the future average day projections, by 2025 there
is an estimated average day demand of 2.61 MGD yielding a surplus storage
capacity of 644,000 gallons. Looking at 2030, the projected average day demand
is 2.82 yielding a surplus in storage of 427,000 gallons. By the design year of 2037,
an excess of 117,000 gallons of storage capacity is expected. There is enough
storage capacity for the City of Prior Lake through the design year. Both elevated
towers are in good condition and have several more years of useful life remaining.
2. Minimum Use
One way to evaluate the adequacy of storage capacity is to evaluate the minimum
use to see if there is sufficient turnover of water during winter months to prevent
freezing in the storage facilities. A good rule is to allow water to turnover every
couple of days in the winter. Currently, the average day demand averages
approximately 2.22 MGD. Utilizing the full storage capacity of 3.25 MG, the water
turnover is about every 1.5 days. Using the future demands, by 2037 the average
day demand is anticipated to be3.13 MGD, yielding a turnover every 1.03 days (if
no extra storage facility is constructed). Based on this simple analysis, there is
enough storage supply and water turnover in the City to prevent water from freezing
in the towers during winter months.
3. Existing Fire Demand Requirements
Water modeling can be used to evaluate available fire flows in a City. This can be
beneficial for planning purposes when evaluating distribution system
improvements. The guide for determining required fire flows is developed by the
Insurance Service Office (ISO). When designing future improvements, it is
important to account for needed fire flows. The needed fire flow differs between
structures and building types such as residential, commercial, or industrial. For
single-family homes, the following table should be considered for needed fire flows.
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 710
Table 9.9: Needed Fire Flows for Residential Homes
Distance Between Buildings (ft) Fire Flow (gpm)
More than 100 500
31 - 100 750 – 1,000
11 - 30 1,001 - 1500
Less than 11 1,501 – 2,000
Continuous 2,500
Commercial and industrial needed fire flows are determined on an individual basis
by evaluating the occupancy area, communication factor, exposure factor, and if a
sprinkler system is installed. Typically, most systems require only 500 – 1,000 gpm
of needed fire flow if a sprinkler system is installed and up to 500 gpm of additional
flow if a sprinkler system is not installed.
Figure 9.4 presents the City of Prior Lakes’ existing maximum day fire flows. As can
be seen on the map below, a majority of the City has a fire flow greater than 3,500
gpm. Areas with less flow are found on the end runs of watermains and along runs
with smaller diameter watermains. The lowest available fire flow according to the
model in Figure 9.4 is between 1,000 and 1,500 gpm. Small areas around the north
end of Lower Prior Lake have the lowest available fire flow. These areas are on the
end of the smaller diameter watermains. However, these areas still have sufficient
fire flows based on the discussion and table above. Overall, the City of Prior Lake
has sufficient fire flow protection.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 711
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.4: Existing Maximum Day Fire Flow
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 712
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.5: Existing Average Daily Demand - Hydraulic Grade Line
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 713
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.6: Existing Maximum Daily Demand – Hydraulic Grade Line
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 714
G. WATER QUALITY
1. General
The purpose of this section is to evaluate the water quality of the Prior Lake Water
System and detail the treatment methods used. The section will also detail the current
drinking water standards and how the Prior Lake water quality compares to these
standards.
2. Water Quality and Treatment
The Prior Lake water quality is considered good. The water is considered potable
since it does not exceed any limits set forth in the National Primary Drinking Water
Standards. However, due to iron and manganese levels present in the aquifer, the
water exceeds levels above the National Secondary Drinking Water Standards. The
Secondary Drinking Water Standards has limits of 0.3 mg/L for iron (Fe) and 0.05
mg/L for manganese (Mn). Excessive iron and manganese can cause red and black
stains when the water is used for irrigation and other household uses. It can also
create taste and odor problems and cause plumbing issues over time. Well No. 6 and
7 are the only two wells that have iron levels that exceed the Secondary Standard of
0.3 mg/L. All of the wells exceed the Secondary Standard of 0.05 mg/L for
manganese. Table 9.10 identifies the well manganese levels and the respective
concentrations and loads based on the well pumping capacity. Well water is typically
blended from certain wells to achieve a lower overall manganese concertation
entering the WTF. As seen in Table 9.10, each well (except well 7) accounts for
approximately 23% of the total manganese load pumped from each well.
Table 9.10: Well Water Quality
Well No.(1) Well Flow
(gpm)
Well Flow (2)
(MGD)
Manganese
Concentration (mg/L)
Manganese
Load
(lbs./day)
Percent of Total
Manganes
e Load
3 1,200 1.44 0.28 3.36 23.1%
4 1,100 1.32 0.319 3.51 24.1%
5 1,000 1.2 0.343 3.43 23.6%
7 450 0.54 0.199 0.90 6.2%
8 1,200 1.44 0.278 3.34 23.0%
(1) Well No. 9 data was omitted as data was not available at the time this report was written
Assumes pumping at 20 hours per day
The City’s current water treatment facility (WTF) uses an aerator, chemical addition,
and gravity filtration to oxidize the iron and manganese in the water and remove it
from solution. Details of the treatment facility are discussed in Section 9.3 of this
report. The WTF is very effective at removing iron and manganese levels to below the
National Secondary Drinking Water Standards. Table 9.11 represents the average
iron and manganese concentrations and loads that enter the WTF and the average
effluent concentrations and loads leaving the WTF.
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 715
Table 9.11: Iron and Manganese Removal
Raw/Treated Constituent Average Concentration
(mg/L)
Mass Load
(lbs./day)
Raw Iron 0.22 3.92
Treated Iron 0.01 0.27
Raw Manganese 0.53 9.62
Treated Manganese 0.03 0.63
On average, 9.62 lbs/day of manganese enters the WTF in the raw water supply. The
manganese load in the effluent is 0.63 lbs/day, approximately two times the load of
iron leaving the filters. The mass loadings were calculated based on the average daily
flow from the last six years (2010 – 2016) of 2.17 MGD. Effluent iron concentrations
average 0.01 mg/L and effluent manganese concentrations average 0.03 mg/L.
Overall, the filter achieves a 93% removal of iron and 93% removal of manganese
producing an effluent water quality higher than the standards set in the Secondary
Drinking Water Standards.
a) Fluoridation
Fluoride is added to the treated water before it is sent into the distribution system.
Fluoride is added to aide in cavity protection for customers and prevents tooth
decay.
b) Chlorination
The City disinfects the supply water using chlorine as a primary disinfectant. The
City uses free chlorine as the source of chlorine. This is achieved by breakpoint
chlorination where chlorine is added at a specific dose which oxidizes all of the
natural or added ammonia in the water until all that is left is the free chlorine
molecules. This type of disinfection provides a stable and powerful disinfectant
that inactivates organisms in the water and provides a suitable residual in the
distribution system.
3. Current Drinking Water Standards
The City follows all of the enforcement standards set forth in the Environmental
Protection Agency’s National Primary Drinking Water Standards. These standards are
enforceable limits that each public water supply system must adhere to and provide
annual updates to the public. Prior Lake accomplishes this in the annual drinking
water report.
4. Proposed Drinking Water Standards
With the current WTF treating for iron and manganese and removals below the
National Secondary Drinking Water Standards, the City is sending treated water into
the distribution system that is safe and sustainable for customer use in the City. The
City will continue to monitor water quality per Federal and State regulations.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 716
9.4 Water Conservation
A. General
The purpose of this section is to discuss how water conservation plays a key role in future
water planning and how these concepts can be implemented by the City. Water
conservation is becoming an important issue where water is viewed as an important
resource. Conserving water may help with demand reduction and relaxes stress on the
distribution system and wells during high usage months. Water conservation can include
a vast range of techniques and strategies from the addition of rain barrels to capture
rainfall for lawn irrigation, to drip irrigation systems for larger gardens, to even replacing
regular household appliances with energy and water efficient appliances. This section will
discuss concepts for reducing water use, and peak day demands along with the current
water rates and the water lost throughout the system and how they relate to water
conservation
B. Reducing Use
Reducing water use is one of the largest factors for decreasing the per capita demand
and water lost through the system. Most of the water in a community goes towards
residential use. As discussed earlier in this report, residential water use includes water
used in all household appliances, cooking, cleaning, toilets, showers, and lawn irrigation.
Seasonal usage can affect what water is used for with respect to residential demand.
Typically, commercial and industrial demands remain relatively constant throughout the
year, as the day-to-day operations of the facility do not change significantly. Reducing
water use in these facilities involves discussion with the owner and what techniques may
work for each industry or business.
During winter months, a baseline demand can be established because almost all of the
residential water is used for normal household uses with the exception of lawn irrigation.
This baseline demand can give an estimate to how much water is required for residential
customers on a regular basis with no lawn irrigation. However, during summer months
when lawn irrigation is at a peak, this seasonal demand can play a large role in how much
water is required for customers. The analysis of seasonal demands is discussed in
Section 9.2 of this report. The analysis concludes that the summer demand is on average,
33% greater than winter demands.
Seasonal peak water demands are often the result of lawn irrigation. Keeping up with
peak demands requires the construction of additional water supply and storage facilities
sooner than they may be otherwise warranted. If a City is treating this water that may
mean expansion or addition of the Water Treatment Facility (WTF), just to keep up with
these demands. With an average of 76% of water going to residential use, lawn irrigation
can play a major role in the seasonal demand for this customer category. Currently, the
City has sufficient water supply with the interconnections to keep with the maximum day
demands and seasonal water use. However, if future water use continues to grow without
any sort of water conservation measure to limit irrigation, Prior Lake may be required to
add Well 10 sooner than anticipated.
Reduction of lawn irrigation to help control demands is typically accomplished through
odd- even day or even time-of-day watering restrictions. Prior Lake currently has an
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 717
ordinance for odd-even day watering that has helped reduce peak day and seasonal
demands. The City has also been proactive in implementing a tiered rate structure that
bills more for higher water usage. This has helped reduce water usage over the past few
years as is evident in Table 9.1 (Historical Demands).
The City currently bills water customers on a bi-monthly basis. The City should consider
monthly billing as a method to help with conservation as customers will see and track
their usage more frequently and have a chance to make changes on usage more quickly.
This would require additional time by the City to put together customer bills and possibly
reconfiguration of the City’s billing system/software.
The water rate system is a two-tier system for usage rates. The City should consider
adding a third, higher rate on high usage. Many other communities have a three-tier
system with the higher tier targeting those high usage customers.
Reducing water lost in the system is accomplished through leak detection and annual
water audits. The City currently performs a leak detection on a third of the City each year.
This means that every three years the entire City will have updated leak detection results.
It is important to use the leak detection information yearly for Capital Improvement
Planning to target areas where the volume of water lost in the system is greatest. Water
losses can also be targeted by installing new enhanced meters and repairing and
recalibrating current meters.
Water conservation is a key factor in reducing water use. Conservation measures typically
involve education along with an incentive and regulation to encourage water
conservation. While some of these measures such as: billing inserts on water
conservation or rebates for installing a water efficient appliance or grant programs for
adding rain barrels, can help with reducing water use, they will not completely eliminate
the need for additional wells or water storage. However, they could delay the
implementation of the infrastructure or reduce the total future required capacity.
C. Reducing Peak Demands
Historically, the maximum day demands for Prior Lake frequently exceed 5 MGD as
indicated in Table 9.1. These peak day demands typically occur in the summer months
when lawn irrigation is at its highest. The water used for lawn irrigation is typically what
drives maximum day demands. The volume of water devoted to lawn irrigation can be
moderated by the odd-even day watering restriction. There has been moderate success
in Prior Lake since this restriction has been implemented. This restriction may help reduce
seasonal demands due to lawn irrigation, but it does not significantly reduce overall use.
Reducing overall use involves more complex water conservation techniques as discussed
above.
Reducing the peak demands may help reduce stress on the water supply and distribution
system.
Evaluation of historical demands indicates that over the past few years, peak demands
have been decreasing or slightly lower than the previous 10-year average. One
contributing factor could be that Prior Lake has been dedicated to improving the efficiency
of the distribution system and increasing efforts related to water conservation. One of the
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 718
key elements that has helped reduce peak demands is the implementation of the tiered
rate system that bills more for higher water use. By continuing to manage the rate system
and make changes as necessary, this may help by controlling the peak day demands
experienced during summer months when water usage is greatest.
D. Water Rates
As stated above, the City of Prior Lake has a tiered rate system for residential customers
that bills out bimonthly with the volume reported in thousands of gallons of water used.
This type of billing is considered conservation billing and has helped the City reduce
overall water usage since its implementation. By having water bills reported in gallons, it
allows customers to easily see how much water they use in a given billing period, so they
can manage their own water usage and how much they are willing to pay for water. The
City currently has a two- tiered system that bills rates as follows:
• $4.53 per 1,000 gallons for the first 25,000 gallons
• $6.25 per 1,000 gallons for water usage over 25,000 gallons
The City evaluates water rates on a yearly basis and updates them as necessary. The
latest rate adjustment was made in January of 2017.
E. Water Loss
The City of Prior Lake has submitted their Third Generation Water Supply Plan (WSP) to
the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In the preliminary WSP,
unaccounted for water is estimated at approximately 6.9% (2005 – 2016 average). When
evaluating the 6- year average (2011 – 2016), the unaccounted-for water averages 2.8%.
The reason the 2005 – 2016 unaccounted for water is higher is because from 2005 –
2007 Prior Lake had unaccounted for water greater than 10% each year. Since then, the
unaccounted-for water has significantly decreased and has remained less than 7% per
year. The DNR has a threshold of keeping unaccounted for water less than 10%. Based
on the available data, Prior Lake is well below the 10% threshold. However, over the last
11 years the 6.9% average unaccounted for water equates to approximately 55 million
gallons of water lost.
Lost water can attribute to leaks from the system, unmetered use (i.e. firefighting, street
sweeping, ice rink flooding, hydrant flushing, construction etc.), or even unauthorized use.
Water losses means lost revenue to the utility of the water is not metered or if it lost due
to leaks in the system.
With the addition of enhanced water meters on commercial buildings and automated
meters in residential homes, this has helped reduce the amount of water that goes
unmetered in the system over the last several years. Maintaining a meter change-out
schedule and/or a maintenance schedule can help reduce the errors due to water meters.
As stated earlier in this report, the City conducts a leak survey on a third of the City every
year. This helps find and stop leaks that are occurring the City to reduce the amount of
water lost. The leak detection is an important part in system maintenance that should
continue yearly to stop leaks and prevent large volumes of water from leaking and not
being metered. Identifying and correcting leaks early enables utilities to minimize costly
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 719
repairs of large watermain failures, and to avoid premature expansion to supply and
treatment and storage facilities.
Another important tool that can be used to help track water losses is a water audit. This
can be as simple as tracking the total volume of water pumped in a year and comparing
it to the volume of water billed to customers. These two numbers should be relatively
close to each other. If they are significantly different, that could indicate that water is being
lost in the system somewhere, which results in lost revenue. Overall, Prior Lake has a
lower percentage of unaccounted for water and they have implemented and maintained
a quality leak detection program. These efforts should help track water losses to keep
them at a minimum.
9.5 Recommended Future Improvements
A. General
This section details recommended future improvements to Prior Lakes’ water system to
improve the water supply, treatment, distribution system, and storage facilities. The
recommended improvements are based on evaluation of the existing facilities discussed
in Section 9.3 and the projected water demands evaluated in Section 9.2. This Section
includes the updated water system model to show how the infrastructure improvements
discussed below affect average and maximum day pressures, as well as maximum day
fire flows.
B. Water Supply
Analysis of the water supply indicates that Prior Lake does not require additional wells at
this time. However, it is desirable to maintain a firm well capacity (capacity with the largest
well out of service) greater than the project maximum day demand. Currently, with
operating the wells at 24 hours per day, the City has a firm well capacity of 4,200 gpm, or
6.05 MGD. Future demands indicate that sometime around 2025, maximum day demands
will become greater than the firm well capacity. However, the City has the agreement with
SMSC to purchase a maximum of 2.2 MGD and a minimum of 1.5 MGD and this capacity
allows the City to push well 10 to 2037. The agreement with SMSC is a key component
of the City’s water system and affords the City the capacity needed so no major water
improvements are needed. It is noted to look at adding well 10 in 2037. It is best to
evaluate the long-term water supply plan for Prior Lake to discuss if there is a desire to
add well 10 or maintain the interconnections with SMSC and Savage.
C. Water Treatment Facilities
The current WTF has adequate capacity for current and future demands. The facility
adequately removes iron and manganese from the water to below National Secondary
Drinking Water Standards. No future improvements are necessary at the WTF. Proper
maintenance is an important element in the operation of the WTF. Equipment and coating
systems should be inspected every 20 years and replaced or repaired as needed.
To ensure proper operation of the WTF filters, a filter evaluation should be done every 5
– 7 years. This will help operators understand the “health” of their filters and to help
eliminate potential future problems with the media. The filter evaluation will also help
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2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 720
determine if the media should be replaced and approximately, when it should be replaced.
D. Water Distribution System
The following are recommended improvements to the distribution system. Improvements
were based on the existing water model figures provided in Section 9.3 of this report and
the existing and future land use maps in Appendix A. The goal was to try improving the
ISO classification with respect to maximum day fire flows and pressures throughout the
system to meet demands for future development.
It was assumed that areas with residential usage would be similar to historical demands
with regards for required flows and that industrial demands would be similar to historic
demands. These assumptions were used only to update the water model to evaluate
required watermain looping and infrastructure required for the future land use depicted in
Appendix A. The actual development or infrastructure should be an integral part of the
City’s planning and the water distribution system should be developed around the actually
planning documents.
1. Watermain
The City of Prior Lakes’ distribution system currently consists of watermains ranging
in size form 6 inches up to 20 inches. As the system continues to grow (as depicted
by the maps in Appendix A and this Section), the need for additional watermain
increases. The new watermains should be added to the system to strengthen the
existing loops or to create new loops in areas not currently served by the distribution
system. Looping watermains in the most effective method for increasing average and
maximum day pressures as well as increasing the fire flow in an area. Figure 9.7
depicts the anticipated future improvements to the distribution system with regards to
locations for placement of new watermains. The intent is to show general locations
and preferred looping routes. The actual implementation and placement of the
watermains should be integrated in consideration with other utility installations and
actual planned developments and roads.
The main areas of focus for the addition of watermain were on the west and north
sections of the City. These areas will see substantial future development according to
the future land use map. To best serve these areas, future watermain additions were
developed based on the watermain currently installed with sizing and looping
additions used to maintain adequate pressure and fire flows.
Based on Figure 9.7, the proposed watermain additions on the west side of the City
include extending the 16-inch watermain that currently terminates north of highway
13, along highway 13 to the southwest. This new 16-inch watermain would serve the
areas that the future land use map in Appendix A depicts as primarily industrial and
urban low-density residential land use. Looping this new 16-inch watermain through
these sections will provide adequate flows and pressures to these areas. In addition,
extending the 20” watermain that is currently installed up to the intersection of
Marschall Rd. at Belmont Ave. NW, to the west and south along Marschall Rd., will
provide adequate flows and the ability to loop watermain through these areas.
Additionally, more loops can be created depending on how the development in these
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 721
areas progresses. Some ideas for additional loops include adding 8-inch loops
through residential neighborhoods and extending 10-inch or 12-inch watermains
through industrial developments. The new 16-inch watermain would be connected to
the existing watermain that runs around the north end of Upper Prior Lake.
On the north side of the City, the projected land use is a mix of urban low-density to
urban high-density housing with additional industrial land throughout. To best serve
this area, the existing 16-inch watermain that runs along County Road 42 can be
extended into the northwest corner of the City. This loop would serve the projected
residential demand. Additionally, to help maintain adequate flows and pressure, the
16-inch watermain from the SMSC WTP, would be extended North along County
Road 82 and ultimately connect to the 16-inch watermain on County Road 42.
To meet demands in the north-central section of the City, the existing 12-inch
watermain running along County Road 21 would be extended east and west to serve
the projected residential and industrial areas. A new 12-inch watermain would also be
extended north along Pike Lake Trail NE to the City limits. This 12-inch line would
also have an 8-inch line running to the east. Several pressure-reducing valves are
required in this scenario to help even out the pressures. The additional loops created
pockets of low or high pressures that are regulated by using the PRV’s.
Average day pressures throughout the City are depicted in Figure 9.8. With the
addition of the new watermain loops to serve the future development areas, the City
can expect to maintain an average day pressure ranging from 70 – 90 psi in the
western section of the City. The pressures here would be adequate for future
residential and industrial development as depicted in the future land use map in
Appendix A.
In the north section of the City, average daily pressures in the new land use areas
range from 70 – 90 psi with some areas having pressures in the 50 – 60 psi range.
As noted above, this area has several PRV’s added. The PRV’s were added to isolate
the Summit Preserve development and allow the new booster station to increase the
pressure, and to control pressures in the areas between County Roads 18 and 21.
These PRV’s help to maintain the pressures above 70 psi for a majority of the area.
Figure 9.11 indicates that the Hydraulic Grade Line (HGL) throughout the City will
remain constant between 800 – 1,200 feet with the watermain additions shown in
Figure 9.7. This is adequate for future average day demands.
Maximum day pressures using the updated water model are found in Figure 9.6. In
the western section of the City, maximum day pressures ranging from 60 – 80 psi can
be expected. A majority of this area depicted in Figure 9.9 will have a pressure of
approximately 70 psi. In the northern section of the City, maximum day pressures
drop to around 50 psi west of County Road 21, but the majority of the area still
maintains pressures greater than 50 psi. Based on Figures 9.8 and 9.9, with the
addition of new watermain loops, the City can expect to maintain average day and
maximum day pressures greater than 50 psi in all areas. Figure 9.12 indicates that
the HGL throughout the City will be constant in most of the City between 1,160 – 1,220
feet. Areas on the North side of the City can expect to have a HGL between 1,100 –
1,160 feet. The change in HGL is due to the elevation change in the topography.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 722
Overall, the HGL is adequate for future maximum day demands.
2. Fire Flow
Based on the current model, most of the Prior Lake has a fire flow greater than 3,500
gpm, with the lowest modeled fire flow of 500 gpm in small areas around Lower Prior
Lake. The lowest fire flows are in areas with dead end watermains. However, these
areas are directly adjacent to, or are surrounded by areas with fire flows greater than
3,500 gpm. Overall, the City already has fire flows that exceed recommendations
found in Table 9.9 above. The addition of new watermain will still help increase the
available fire flow in areas around the City limits and in all future development areas.
The additional watermains increased the projected maximum day fire flows to greater
than 3,500 gpm in all future land use areas. This indicates that the looping and sizing
of watermains was adequate to provide enough fire flow to meet the criteria set up in
Table 9.9.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 723
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.7: Anticipated Water Distribution System
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 724
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.8: Projected Average Daily Pressure
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 725
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.9: Projected Maximum Day Pressure
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 726
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.10: Projected Maximum Day Fire Flow
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 727
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.11: Projected Average Daily Demand – Hydraulic Grade Line
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 728
Water
Modeling
City of Prior Lake
Figure 9.12: Projected Maximum Daily Demand– Hydraulic Grade Line
March 2018
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 729
E. Water Distribution Facilities
1. Pressure Reducing Valves
The existing pressure reducing valves (PRV’s) are in adequate condition for several
more years. With proper maintenance and upkeep, they should continue to function
as intended. The check valve at Kensington and Co. Rd. 42 is new and with proper
maintenance will serve the City for a long time. Additional PRV’s may be necessary
as shown in Figure 9.7 to control the pressure gradients on the north side of the City.
The reason the PRV’s were added here was to isolate the Summit Preserve
development to allow the booster station to increase the pressure. It is important to
note that not all of the PRV’s may be needed depending on how future development
progresses. Additional loops may be added to negate the need for some of the PRV’s.
2. Booster Stations
The existing booster station near the Wilds golf course is in adequate condition for
current and future demands. It is recommended to continue with proper maintenance
on the station and infrastructure associated with it.
One improvement that is currently in the construction phase is the addition of the
Summit Preserve booster station. This booster station will be located in the Summit
Preserve area and will be operational in 2018. Currently, there are several homes
being constructed in this new development. There is a large elevation change in this
area as well that will require additional hydraulic lift to maintain water pressures at the
highest elevation.
F. Water Storage Facilities
1. Storage Requirements
AWWA recommends storage capacity equal to or greater than average day demand.
Based on the analysis in Section 9.2 of this report, the City of Prior Lake will have
approximately 117,000 gallons of excess storage capacity by the design year of 2037
per this report. There is currently enough storage capacity to meet future average day
demands up until 2037. No future improvements are required for storage facilities at
this time. The recommendation is to continue with proper maintenance and to
evaluate the towers as needed to determine the adequacy of the coating system to
ensure that it has several more years of useful life.
The analysis in Section 9.3 of this report indicates that the fire storage capacity is
adequate for current and future flows. However, the needed fire reserve plays a critical
role in the needed storage capacity for a water system. Any type of progress that can
be made, such as an ordinance requiring fire suppression systems in all new
buildings, are important considerations that will help reduce the total volume of water
required for fire flows and fire storage.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 730
9.6 Economic Analysis
A. General
This section presents the general cost estimates and Capital Improvement Planning (CIP)
schedule anticipated per the discussion of this report. For watermain, the City’s policy is
the developer is responsible for installing 8-inch piping and the City pays for the upsizing
anything larger than 8-inch. Per our future watermain figure the lineal feet of piping and
pipe sizing is determined and Table 9.12 shows the amount of future watermain and the
City and developer portion of the future watermain costs.
Table 9.12: Future Watermain Costs
Length of
Water Proposed Unit Price
Main Size Water Main ($ per foot) Developer
(inches) (feet) City Cost Cost Total Cost
8 28,905 $50 $0 $1,445,250 $1,445,250
10 85 $60 $850 $4,250 $5,100
12 10,230 $80 $306,900 $511,500 $818,400
16 27,940 $95 $1,257,300 $1,397,000 $2,654,300
20 6,970 $120 $487,900 $348,500 $836,400
Subtotals $2,052,950 $3,706,500 $5,759,450
The cost estimates provided in this section are preliminary cost estimates. Table 9.13 in
section B presents the CIP.
City of Prior Lake Water Supply 2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 731
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND COST ESTIMATES
2027
Year
2028
Table 9.13: Cost and Implementation Schedule
Item
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037
Well 10
$800,000
Water Tower-
Cleaning/ Misc.
Repairs (2)
$10,000
$20,000
$20,000
Water Distribution
System
Improvements (1)
$105,000
$1,110,000
$110,000
$115,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
750 Kgal Water
Tower – Coating
Reconditioning
$800,000
1.0 MG Water
Tower – Coating
Reconditioning
$1,250,000
Booster Station-
Summit Preserve $650,000
Water Treatment
Facility: 20-year
Renovations
$800,000
Water Treatment
Facility Filter
Evaluation
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
DNR Water Supply
Plan
$30,000 $30,000
Annual Total $755,000 $1,110,000 $110,000 $115,000 $15,000 $110,000 $0 $900,000 $0 $145,000 $20,000 $900,000 $1,250,000 $100,000 $15,000 $920,000 $0 $100,000 $0 $145,000
(1) 2018 – 2021 costs are from the 2017 – 2021 CIP for Prior Lake
(2) Water Tower Cleaning includes the cost for cleaning both the 750 Kgal and the 1.0 MG towers together
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 732
C. TRUNK WATER FEE
The trunk water fee is setup to pay for future watermain oversizing and for future capacity
of the system and ensures the City is collecting adequate trunk water charges to pay for
these future capital projects. The main future capital costs are as follows:
WTP Expansion at SMSC $11,000,000
Well No. 10 $2,000,000
Watermain Oversizing $2,052,950
Total $15,052,950
D. FUNDING
Several sources are available for funding the above projects. The City of Prior Lake can
also choose to fund the projects by bonding themselves or using cash reserves. It may
be more beneficial to receive state funding for larger projects such as WTF renovations
or water tower renovations as these can cost significantly more than a watermain
replacement project. For these projects, the state of Minnesota has the Public Facilities
Authority that funds projects through the Drinking Water Revolving Fund. This requires
placement on the Project Priority List to receive funding for drinking water projects. The
City can also choose to try and receive different grants to fund the above projects if they
are eligible.
Appendix A: Existing and Future Land Use Maps
734
735
Appendix B: Well Hydrographs
*Note: Static water level measured on 4/14/1973
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 737
Prior Lake Well No. 3 Water Elevation
Well Water Elevation Static Water Level*
885.00
880.00
875.00
870.00
865.00
860.00
855.00
850.00
845.00
840.00 Water Level Elevation (ft)
*Note: Static water level measured on 7/10/1995
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 738
Prior Lake Well No. 4 Water Elevation
Well Water Elevation Static Water Level*
890.00
885.00
880.00
875.00
870.00
865.00
860.00
855.00
850.00
845.00
840.00
835.00
830.00
825.00 Water Level Elevation (ft)
*Note: Static water level measured on 4/6/739
88
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 739
Prior Lake Well No. 5 Water Elevation
Static Water Level*
925.00
900.00
875.00
850.00
825.00
800.00
775.00
750.00
725.00
700.00 Water Level Elevation (ft)
*Note: Static water level measured on 8/9/740
01
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 740
Prior Lake Well No. 6 Water Elevation
Well Water Level Static Water Level*
950.00
940.00
930.00
920.00
910.00
900.00
890.00
880.00
870.00
860.00
850.00
840.00
830.00
820.00
810.00
800.00
790.00
780.00
770.00
760.00
750.00 Water Level Elevation (ft)
*Note: Static water level measured on 4/14/2003
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 741 Water Level Elevation (ft)
Prior Lake Well No. 7 Water Elevation
Well Water Level Static Water Level*
900.00
880.00
860.00
840.00
820.00
800.00
780.00
760.00
740.00
*Note: Static water level measured on 6/6/2006
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 742
900.00
875.00
850.00
825.00
800.00
775.00
750.00
725.00
700.00
675.00
650.00
625.00
600.00
575.00
550.00
525.00
500.00
475.00
450.00
Prior Lake Well No. 8 Water Elevation
Well Water Level Static Water Level*
Water Level Elevation (ft)
City of Prior Lake Water Supply
2040 Comprehensive Plan Page 743
*Note: Static water level measured on 10/12/2006
900.00
875.00
850.00
825.00
800.00
775.00
750.00
725.00
700.00
675.00
650.00
625.00
600.00
575.00
550.00
525.00
500.00
475.00
450.00
Prior Lake Well No. 9 Water Elevation
Well Water Level Static Water Level*
Water Level Elevation (ft)