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City-owned land near the TV Signal tower has been designated as site for a proposed three-million-gallon water reservoir.
The New Ulm Public Utilities Commission Thursday opted for the site located between Summit and Southridge Road, south of Lincoln Lane.
Another site at 10th S. and Summit had been considered. That location had the advantage of being naturally higher than the city-owned land and therefore best as far as initial cost was concerned.
The southside reservoir must be at the same height as the Fifth North and Center Street reservoirs since water seeks its own level.
But the site selected by the PUC has the advantage of being already owned by the city as well as being further south and therefore closer to the problem area, according to City Manager Richard Salvati.
The reservoir is needed to provide adequate water during peak demand or fires in the south part of town.
Salvati said the site at 10th South and Summit is right in the middle of an area planned for residential development while the city-owned land has no real alternative use.
WALLACE BLOEDEL, PUC member, said it would take too long to acquire the land at 10th South and Summit.
"Our number one priority is to get the reservoir up now," Bloedel said.
Consulting engineers were directed Thursday by the PUC to make preliminary designs to show how the reservoir would fit into the area around the chosen site. The reservoir would be 130 feet in diameter, 48 feet high, and either steel or prestressed concrete.
Salvati said the reservoir could possibly be built as early as next year, although not in time to help with the peak demand.
There is some oversize piping already in the chosen area and more is planned for the South Payne Street hill improvement project.This would allow water to be brought to the reservoir from present city wells if the water is available.
Lack of enough water to meet peak demand is a problem in New Ulm and the PTJC is working on developing new wells. If enough groundwater supply can be found on the south side to justify the cost a filtration plant will be built there.
The southside reservoir, however,is needed "regardless of the supply problem," Salvati said.
COST OF the reservoir is in the ballpark of $750,000 and would be financed by issuing utility bonds and raising water rates to pay off the bonds.
Salvati noted the city is facing approximately $2 million in water system improvements which are needed right now-well development, filtration and manganese removal improvements, storage needs, additional loop lines.
How soon they can be done depends on financing and to a lesser extent on solving technological problems such as locating new wells and removing manganese from water, Salvati said.
New Ulm Daily Journal
Nov. 14, 1975