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6.4.03 Board ratifies permit; approves new industrial park The Platte West Project took a step closer to reality May 30 when M.U.D. Directors ratified General Manager Tom Wurtz's signature on the Section 404 Permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; authorized purchase of land and approved HDR Engineering, Inc., as the design consultant. With the project under way, M.U.D. also lifted its moratorium on providing water to new developments on the western side of its service area. The community already is benefiting, said Wurtz. On June 4, the board approved water to a new industrial park in Sarpy County. That vote probably wouldn't have been possible under the moratorium, he said. The permit lays out the conditions M.U.D. must meet to build the well field and water plant. It authorizes construction of a wellfield, transmission mains and water treatment plant, contingent upon the District complying with the terms and conditions of the agreement. The District will incur costs to meet the conditions laid out by the Corps, but no one will know for years what the full cost will be. Under permit conditions, the District will follow mitigation and monitoring requirements for wetlands, groundwater levels, stream flows and impacts to private property. Also, M.U.D. will comply with the existing agreements with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for potential impacts to wildlife and recreational areas. "We will manage the resource of the Platte River water and operate in an environmentally-sound manner that does not harm agricultural or recreational interests," Wurtz said. "We have a proven record of being a good neighbor at our Florence and Platte River Plants." "On behalf of the Board of Directors and our customer-owners, we are grateful to the Corps, the EPA, our Nebraska U.S. Senators, Congressional Representatives, State Senators, home builders associations and all other public officials for their efforts in helping to obtain the permit," said Wurtz. "We plan to move with all deliberate speed to design and build the facility as soon as possible." "The Platte West facility will be an economic growth engine for the metro area and adjacent counties for the next 50 years," said M.U.D. Board Chairman Mark Doyle. "Our customer-owners, current and future, can be assured we will have plenty of safe drinking water for all their residential, commercial and industrial needs." The wellfield will be along the Platte River in Douglas and Saunders Counties. The treatment plant will be built at 216th and Q Streets. The $300 million project, designed to meet Omaha drinking water needs for the next 50 to 60 years, will take two years to design and three years to build. The plant will be M.U.D.'s third water treatment facility, adding 100 million gallons of high quality drinking water to the existing 234 million gallons-per-day capacity. M.U.D. provides safe drinking water to more than 176,000 customer-owners in the metro Omaha area. |
Where: The Metropolitan Utilities District's new well field will draw water from the Platte River aquifer, along the Saunders-Douglas County line. The treatment plant will be built at 216th and Q Streets. Cost: $300 million, of which $120 million already has been set aside. When: Scheduled for summer 2008. | |||