Edina approves site for new water treatment plant
The Edina City Council has approved a site for a new water treatment plant in the greater Southdale area to address taste and odor issues affecting local water quality.
The plant will be constructed on the current Fire Station 2 location after the station is relocated and demolished. The council approved using the Yorktown Park area site after determining there would be sufficient space once the fire station is removed.
Residents in the Southdale area currently receive water directly from the aquifer without treatment, which creates taste and odor problems despite being safe to drink. The new facility will provide treated water to the area and serve as backup capacity when other treatment plants undergo maintenance.
The project timeline calls for Fire Station 2 demolition in 2026, with master planning for nearby Adam Hills Park and Ridgefield parks to be completed before finalizing the treatment plant design. Construction is projected to begin in four to six years.
Once operational, the new water treatment plant is expected to serve the community for at least 50 years. The public will have an opportunity to provide input on the facility's design in two to three years.
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Approval of Site for New Water Treatment Plant and Associated Demolition
The city council previously approved the land use and specific location for a new water treatment plant in the Southdale area. This site, at Yorktown Park, currently hosts Fire Station 2, which requires demolition. The need for the plant stems from taste and odor issues in the Southdale area's direct aquifer water. The project aims to provide clean, great-tasting water for at least 50 years and will also alleviate pressure on existing facilities like Plant Number Six. Public input on the design is expected in 2-3 years, with construction projected to start in 4-6 years. The demolition of Fire Station 2 is subject to a separate city council approval request in 2026, following its replacement later this year.
There's taste and order issues because we got to use water right from the aquifer that doesn't go through a treatment plant.
We finally zeroed in on the Yorktown Park or where the fire station number two site is because we were starting to build a new fire station.
Once we understand what the community wants for the park, then we'll see how we integrate the water treatment plant at that time.
something you build once and hopefully maintain for a very very long time.
Source document
[Music] A site has been approved for a new water treatment plant in the greater Southdale area, but before it can be built, a longstanding building must be demolished. Last month, the city council approved using the land currently occupied by fire station 2, which is set to be replaced with a much larger building at a new location later this year. Edina TV shows us why a new water treatment plant is needed in the area. Thousands of homes and businesses in Edina use millions of gallons of water every day. This is water treatment plant number six. This is one of five treatment facilities. Most of it is treated in a place like this. So we have various wells that produce raw water into this facility. And this line right here is that raw water line. It's filtered and treated to make it clean and safe to drink. After all the treatment trains, clean water is distributed out this dark blue line into our distribution system. But if you're in the South Dale area, that glass of water likely has a unique flavor. There's taste and order issues because we got to use water right from the aquifer that doesn't go through a treatment plant. It's still safe to drink. A solution to these issues lies in a new water treatment plant and the city council has approved its location. We finally zeroed in on the Yorktown Park or where the fire station number two site is because we were starting to build a new fire station. So, we looked at that site previously, but with a fire station there, there wasn't enough space to make it happen. The city council will be asked to approve the demolition of fire station 2 in 2026. A new plant will also take the load off of plant number six when others are taken offline for maintenance. The design of the building will be decided after a redesign of the nearby Adam Hills Park in Ridgefield. So, they're going to do some master planning for the parks in 2026. Once we understand what the community wants for the park, then we'll see how we integrate the water treatment plant at that time. Once built, the new facility will serve up great tasting water for at least 50 years. something you build once and hopefully maintain for a very very long time. I'm Dan Carpenter for Adina TV. The public will have an opportunity to provide input on the design of the new water treatment plant in two to three years. Construction is projected to begin in four to six
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New Water Treatment Plant Construction and Site Approval
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