The Mound City Council has authorized bidding for a new municipal water treatment plant, nearly six years after elevated manganese was first identified in the city's water supply, according to a report published 11 September 2026 by hometownsource.com. The plant is estimated to cost $28.4 million, and a contract award is expected at the council's 13 October meeting.
Key takeaways
- Project estimated at $28.4 million, on top of more than $10 million already spent on wells, mains and design (hometownsource.com).
- Funding stack: about $2.05 million federal, $10.3 million from the State of Minnesota, balance from a low-interest Minnesota Public Facilities Authority loan (hometownsource.com).
- Designed capacity: 1,500 gpm, or 1.8 million gallons per day (hometownsource.com).
- Site: a city-owned four-acre parcel on Evergreen Road behind Sorbo Park; facility footprint just over 13,000 sq ft (hometownsource.com).
- Construction is expected to start in spring 2027 and complete by fall or winter 2028 (hometownsource.com).
What happened: bidding authorized after six-year manganese issue
City engineer Matt Bauman said the project is estimated to cost $28.4 million, on top of more than $10 million Mound has already spent on a new well, water mains and design work, according to hometownsource.com. Mayor Jason Holt told the council that "the city has spent the past several years working to secure state and federal funding to help offset costs for residents," with the report recording just over $2.05 million in federal funding and $10.3 million from the State of Minnesota (hometownsource.com>. Holt also noted that water rates will need to increase regardless because the city's water fund is facing a $5.5 million deficit (hometownsource.com).
The project did not secure additional state funding in this year's bonding bill, and the city waited an extra year in hopes of doing so, according to hometownsource.com. The remaining balance will be financed through a low-interest loan from the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, with franchise fees and water-bill increases making up the difference once bids are received (hometownsource.com).
Permits cleared, site and scale set
Two key permitting steps are already behind the project. The Minnesota Department of Health approved the plant permit in June, and the city approved a conditional use permit on 14 April, according to hometownsource.com. The proposed plant would sit on a four-acre city-owned site on Evergreen Road behind Sorbo Park, span just over 13,000 square feet, reach a maximum height of 31.5 feet, and include office, laboratory, garage and storage space for water utility operations (hometownsource.com).
During public comment, two residents spoke in support of the project and thanked the council for its efforts, according to hometownsource.com. The council is expected to vote on whether to award a contract at its 13 October meeting, with construction targeted to begin in spring 2027 and finish by fall or winter 2028 (hometownsource.com).
Project figures at a glance
| Item | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Estimated plant construction cost | $28.4 million |
| Prior spend (well, mains, design) | More than $10 million |
| Federal funding | Just over $2.05 million |
| State of Minnesota funding | $10.3 million |
| Water fund deficit cited by mayor | $5.5 million |
| Designed treatment capacity | 1.8 million gallons per day (1,500 gpm) |
| Building footprint | Just over 13,000 sq ft |
| Site | Four acres, Evergreen Road behind Sorbo Park |
Source for all figures in the table: hometownsource.com.
Specification read
Restating the reported capacity in metric units: 1.8 million US gallons per day is approximately 6,813 m³/day, a small-to-mid municipal surface-water or iron-and-manganese removal plant serving on the order of 15,000–25,000 residents at typical per-capita demand (general industry range, not from the sources). For a manganese-driven supply like Mound's, the relevant treatment train runs from raw-water screening and aeration/oxidation through greensand or catalytic media filtration for iron and manganese removal, then disinfection (typically chlorine or UV) and clearwell storage; this event is the construction tender for the treatment building itself, not an upgrade to a downstream biological or ZLD stage. A recognition sentence for buyers: if your plant is a small municipal groundwater or lake-water system in the 5,000–10,000 m³/day range with iron/manganese compliance pressure and an aging clearwell, this kind of $25–30 million (general industry range, not from the sources) new-build tender with a roughly 18–24 month construction window is the closest analogue to what Mound is now procuring. See our Municipal water and wastewater treatment overview and the broader Industries We Serve hub for related reference designs.
FAQ
What capacity is Mound's new water treatment plant being designed for?
The plant is designed to treat up to 1,500 gallons per minute, or 1.8 million gallons per day, according to hometownsource.com. In metric terms that is roughly 6,813 m³/day.
What is the estimated contract value and how is it funded?
The construction contract is estimated at $28.4 million, on top of more than $10 million already spent, with about $2.05 million federal and $10.3 million from the State of Minnesota; the balance is to be financed through a low-interest loan from the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, according to hometownsource.com. Final per-resident costs depend on the bid result.
When will construction start and how long will it take?
If the council awards a contract at its 13 October meeting, construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 and be completed by fall or winter 2028, a roughly 18–24 month build window, according to hometownsource.com.
What drove the need for a new plant?
Elevated levels of manganese were identified in Mound's municipal water supply nearly six years before the bid authorization, and the project has cleared the Minnesota Department of Health plant permit in June and a city conditional use permit on 14 April, according to hometownsource.com.