Municipal Water Systems

City of Fruitland, Idaho
City Engineer for Water and Wastewater Systems

Pharmer Engineering was recently retained by the City of Fruitland to serve as City Engineer for the City’s water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.    Due to the City’s lack of potable water during the upcoming summer, the first task by Pharmer is to design and construct temporary water treatment system.  

Pharmer took on this task in a fast-track approach so that the water treatment system which will draw water from the Payette River will be in place an operational by mid-July.    In order to meet the needs by the accelerated growth in the area, Pharmer is conducting a City-wide water facilities plan and will start work on the upgrades required for the water treatment facilities in the Fall of 2007.

Water Facility Plan

FruitlandThe City hired Pharmer Engineering to address a new arsenic drinking water standard mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The new arsenic standard of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/L) became effective February 2002 for community and non-community non-transient drinking water systems. The arsenic concentration measured in the City of Fruitland's water supply ranges from approximately 20 to 39 ug/L. The Report is intended to be used as a planning document by the City to assist in providing adequate drinking water to the City of Fruitland residents and water users over the next 20 year planning period.

The recommended alternative based on the evaluation was to construct a membrane water treatment plant similar to the temporary Pall Aria Plant, using Payette River Water as the source water.

City of Fruitland Palisades Water and Sewer Feasibility Study

Economic growth in and around the City of Fruitland has been expanding over the past years.  The Palisades junction is approximately 1.75 miles south of the City and is at the major intersection of two State Highways as well as bordering the interstate.  Pharmer Engineering is currently examining the feasibility of providing water and sewer services to the Palisades area, which will allow for economic growth to the area.  The study is being funded through USDA and the Idaho Department of Labor and Commerce Funding Grants.

FruitlandCity of Fruitland Emergency Drinking Water Plant

In the summer of 2006, the City of Fruitland retained Pharmer Engineering to assist with their water shortage for the Cities potable water system.  Previously the City had explored several options to obtain potable water through wells with limited success for dollar spent.  Pharmer Engineering assisted the City in obtaining a Pall Aria Membrane Water Treatment system to allow the City to treat abundant surface water from the Payette River.  Pharmer prepared the plans, obtained all permits and easements and began producing water in about 3 months.

City of McCall, Idaho

Water Storage & Pipeline

McCallPharmer Engineering staff was selected by the City of McCall in 2005 to design a one million gallon water storage tank.  The tank was feed from the water treatment plant through a dedicated 12" and 16" PVC lines up a steep grade to a buried concrete tank.  The pipeline route passed through rocky areas that required blasting.  The tank site was on donated land and required the structure be designed to blend into the landscape with minimal disruption to the surroundings. 

Pharmer designed the concrete tank with consideration of the short construction season.  To save time, the roof was designed using pre-cast concrete columns, beams and double tee panels.  The cover was completed in two weeks.  The interior concrete surface was painted with a NSF 61 flexible polyurea coating.  The tank construction began in July 2005 and was completed by December 2005.  It was put into service after coating in the spring of 2006.  Our scope of engineering work included planning, design, construction administration, startup and training.

Water Treatment Plant

McCallPharmer Engineering staff was selected by the City of McCall to provide engineering services associated with design changes and construction management of a new $6.5 million water filter plant. The project covered all aspects of a complex water filtration treatment system. The plant is computer-controlled and uses state-of-the-art SCADA systems for optimum performance and consistent water quality.

The project, which began construction in June 2001 was completed in February 2003. The scope of work included project management, value engineering design modifications, on-site construction observation, and contract administration and startup. Pharmer personnel, led by Brad Bjerke, actively teamed with the City and Contractor to identify cost saving changes to the previously designed system. Through an initial value engineering effort, the team achieved cost savings of over $500,000.

In addition to cost savings, Pharmer engineers were instrumental in making process changes in the disinfection process to provide a safer alternative to gaseous chlorine. In an effort to satisfy nearby residences (the water plant is located in the exclusive Spring Mountain Ranch resort area), Pharmer Engineering’s CAD department prepared computer graphics depicting the plant appearance when fully constructed (see rendering above). The building changes improved the appearance of the treatment building and provided significant cost savings for the project.

The project had:

Clean Web Design