NEW SOURCE MAY LEAD TO SAFER WATER

City officials believe the search for a new and safer water-supply source could prove to be one of the better investments the city council has approved.

The council on Monday approved the initial phases of two engineering projects. The first project is a study of an alluvial well, and the second is a project to design earthquake protection of the water system.

According to city water system manager Tom Taggart, if the city is able to use wells that would be constructed on sand bars south and east of the city, it could turn into a savings of $50,000 to $60,000 a year.

If the project ultimately goes bust, however, Taggart said the information gleaned from the projects will be useful for the expansion of the city's water treatment plant.

"When you consider that this would affect the design of a $5 million expansion plant, it's money that is being invested wisely," Taggart said. "If it works it would give us water that would still have to be treated by chemicals, but it would be a safer operation because not as many chemicals would be needed."

The fewer the chemicals needed to deal with animal waste and bacteria, the safer the water would be for consumption by Cape Girardeau residents. It also would cut down on the amount of sludge after the water is filtered through the treatment plant.

The Environment Protection Agency is expected to prohibit sending sludge removed from water back into the river.

It is the chance to have a safer water operation for the next 20 to 30 years, however, that drives Taggart and others on the city staff to recommend studies such as these.

Taggart cited a scare last year in Milwaukee to illustrate how serious the search for safe and alternate water supplies is.

The Wisconsin city suffered an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses due to the parasite cryptosporidium that got into the city's water.

"Nobody wants to deal with what happened to Milwaukee last year," Taggart said.

Members of the city council Monday questioned whether it was wise to enlist the services of Burns and McDonnell, an outside engineering firm, to study an alluvial well and embark on a seismic protection plan that would cost $18,000.

The price tag for the first phase of the alluvial well project is $65,000. If that phase is successful, the second phase could cost more than $100,000.

"I don't even know what an alluvial well is," said City Councilman Richard Eggimann. "It seems like every time I turn around we're looking at an outside engineering firm doing work for the city. Don't we have enough engineers on staff to do the work?"

Assistant City Manager Doug Leslie said the staff of city engineers is busy on other projects and often does not have the expertise to take on jobs such as the one Burns and McDonnell is undertaking.

"This is a project that requires a great deal of knowledge of geologic characteristics of a proposed site and the ability to provide a conceptual design for planning purposes," said Leslie.

Taggart said the city will need to find alternate sources for an expanded water supply sooner than previously thought.

"We thought by the year 1998 we would need to have something," he said. "But now we're thinking more along the lines of the year 1996 or 1997 when we will be at maximum production."

The city is interested in expanding and finding alternate water capabilities at its Cape Rock Water Treatment Plant north of the city. The plant treats Mississippi River water.

But after the 1993 flood, silt buildup in the surface water intake and the downriver migration of zebra mussels, which clog surface water intakes, have prompted the consideration of a new water supply source.

Groundwater from the Mississippi River alluvium has been proposed as an alternate source.

"What we would be doing is withdrawing water from a ground formation adjacent to the river," said Taggart. "The water infiltrates through sand and gravel, taking out some of the particles that we normally have to do. It's like a pre-filtration system that works naturally."

The study on seismic protection of the water system involves design of flexible expansion joint piping to protect storage tanks and treatment plant clearwells, control valves to isolate the distribution system, and a seismic "trigger" system to keep the good water from being lost.