Frequently Asked Questions

We are actively adjusting our treatment processes to reduce taste and odor effects. This includes strengthening carbon treatment, optimizing water movement through the plant, cleaning storage tanks, and flushing parts of the water system. We have also activated a fourth sedimentation basin to improve settling and filtration, as well as implemented strategies to improve sediment removal.

With current technology, we can reduce these impacts through treatment upgrades and routine maintenance. However, because our source water is a lake, we cannot guarantee that taste and odor changes will never occur. Our goal is to continue improving the system to minimize these effects as much as possible while maintaining safe drinking water.

Baffle walls are structural upgrades designed to improve treatment performance and help address factors contributing to taste and odor issues. Construction will begin in the Spring of 2026.  

Installing baffle walls is a significant structural improvement. Engineering, design, regulatory review and permitting started in August 2025. Funding was approved in December 2025 after permitting was completed. The required cleaning and sedimentation basin clearing are now underway, and construction is being scheduled.

No. Baffle walls are expected to improve treatment performance, but they are just one element of a broader plan. Because our drinking water comes from a natural surface water source, there will likely always be periods when taste and odor change due to environmental conditions.

We have adjusted carbon treatment, increased the treatment time (or how long it takes water to move through the plant), activated a fourth sedimentation basin, improved sedimentation processes and completed targeted system flushing and tank cleaning. At Moss Lake, we have temporarily paused dredging activities, reviewed water intake depth, and evaluated intake screening. Long-term, we are assessing storage capacity and system resiliency to better handle changing environmental conditions. We are also working towards fully automating the water treatment operation.

The water system is maintained on an ongoing basis rather than through one single systemwide renovation. The treatment plant underwent major upgrades in 2016. Ground storage tanks were most recently cleaned between November and January. The entire distribution system is flushed annually, and crews directly flush dead-end lines when residents report concerns. We are also evaluating installing automatic flushers in certain areas.

Yes. We have adequately allocated eight positions to support the plant.