Our Progress as of January 2010

Background: Our Water Master Plan

In 1997, the City of Edmond began efforts to determine and plan our long-range water needs. Our 20-year Water Master Plan was completed in March 1999 and identified about $55 million in capital improvements for 1) additional municipal wells; 2) improvements to our distribution system, and 3) increasing our capacity to purchase and distribute water from Oklahoma City.

The Present: Our Progress Toward the Goals

• A rate study for the water and wastewater divisions is being conducted by a consultant and will be presented to City Council in 2010. The rate increases are necessary to complete planned capital improvements.
• A 50 Year Water Supply Plan was developed, with a 15-person stakeholder committee and a consulting firm, during 2008 and 2009. The final study report was issued in May 2009. This study will provide guidance for Edmond water supply planning for many years to come.
• Four additional water wells were put in service in 2008.
• In 2004 the city entered into a new water purchase contract with the city of Oklahoma City. This agreement includes the construction of a large water line from Western Avenue to the Northwest Complex in Edmond located at Boulevard and Coffee Creek Road. This pipeline has the capacity to deliver 15 million gallons of water per day to the complex.
• The Second Street Booster Pumping Station was completed and put into service in 2005. This facility, located on Second Street between Coltrane and Bryant, has greatly enhanced our ability to deliver water to the UCO and downtown areas.
• The Northwest Complex was completed in 2006. The complex is comprised of a two million gallon storage tank and a pumping system that can distribute up to twenty million gallons of water per day. We also completed the installation of a 24- inch transmission line from the I-35 pumping complex to the new Northwest Complex. The cost of these projects was approximately $13 million. These improvements allow both water treated at the Edmond Water Plant and treated water from Oklahoma City's Lake Hefner Water Treatment Plant to be used to maintain water supplies for Edmond.
• A new breakpoint chlorination facility was put into service in 2008. This facility enables Edmond to convert water purchased from Oklahoma City to a free chlorine disinfectant. Oklahoma City uses chloramines for disinfection. Both products are excellent disinfectants however, when blended together they can cause taste and odor issues in potable water. This conversion of Oklahoma City water from chloramines to free chlorine will prevent any potential taste and odor issues that could result from blending Oklahoma City water with water produced by Edmond.
• A new booster pumping station was put in service in southeast Edmond in 2008.

Customers have indicated to us that water system improvements should be a main concern and we want them to know that they are a top priority. We also want them to be aware of our progress along the way. As with most infrastructure investments, these improvements are quite expensive but they are necessary to insure that we have sufficient water supplies to meet current and future water needs.