Post in Minneapolis water stinks, why?

2008 Jul 23 16:31 UTC

If you ask anyone who is familiar with water filtration technologies they will
tell you that a properly functioning Ultrafiltration (UF)system will remove any
pesky odors/tastes along with organics and other impurities normally associated
with surface waters.  This is the same type of technology used by beverage
manufactures like Pepsi & Coke. When was the last time you heard a statement
from one of those companies saying: "for the next few weeks due to the spring
thaw your coke will taste like the swamp" or  "Our mountain dew will be more
like Mississippi River bottom in mid-summer, but I'm sure it will all get
better soon--I'm going on break so talk to the hand".

You don't hear statements like this because those companies have invested
millions of dollars in filtration systems to produce a clean and reliable
source of water for their beverages (swamp stink free) and so have we, the
Minneapolis taxpayers.

So the question then becomes what is the malfunction?  Is it a lack of
maintanence?  If so, the answer is to maintain it.  Is it improper installation
of equipment by the contractor?  Then they need to fix it.  Instead of
rationalizing that at least we're not a third world country with their poor
water we need to ask why we aren't getting the clean water we paid millions
for. It has been bragged to be the largest such plant in all of North America.
We certainly should have our high end filtration system operational to provide
this basic necessity before there's frivolous flap about fountains.

There's plenty of experts in the area to talk to.  GE Osmonics is out in
Minnetonka and there's Filmtec in Edina.  There's Ionics, their membranes are
in the filters I believe, and of course there's the general contractor Black &
Veatch.  One of those folks should have some answers and some thinking about
the stinking.

As others have pointed out in another thread this is a topic involving a lot of
cash as well as being an vital resource for basic survival.  It should not be
readily dismissed by some political statement de jour.

http://www.water-technology.net/projects/columbia/

Justin Eibenholzl
Armatage