Vienna completes final filtration system
A network of pipes moves well water between two tanks, each containing 20,000 pounds of charcoal to filter water for the city of Vienna. (Photo by Michael Erb)
Officials stand in the entrance to the third and final water filtration system for the city of Vienna on Thursday. The tanks draw and filter water from two nearby wells for the city water system. From left to right are Vienna Public Works Director Craig Metz, Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp, Tom Clutter from AECOM, Dave Thorn from Public Works, Tim Heiss from AECOM, and Vienna Utility Board member Joe Thorpe. (Photo by Michael Erb)
A series of dials and valves are used to route water between the two tanks, but all of Vienna’s water system can be monitored and controlled from a central site. (Photo by Michael Erb)
A network of pipes moves well water between two tanks, each containing 20,000 pounds of charcoal to filter water for the city of Vienna. (Photo by Michael Erb)
Officials stand in the entrance to the third and final water filtration system for the city of Vienna on Thursday. The tanks draw and filter water from two nearby wells for the city water system. From left to right are Vienna Public Works Director Craig Metz, Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp, Tom Clutter from AECOM, Dave Thorn from Public Works, Tim Heiss from AECOM, and Vienna Utility Board member Joe Thorpe. (Photo by Michael Erb)
A series of dials and valves are used to route water between the two tanks, but all of Vienna’s water system can be monitored and controlled from a central site. (Photo by Michael Erb)
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VIENNA -- Vienna officials Thursday unveiled filtration systems for the city's remaining two water wells.
The facility at the corner of 32nd Street and River Road has two tanks, each containing 20,000 pounds of filtering carbon, which draw water from two nearby wells. Two other facilities -- each containing four of the tanks -- had previously been installed to filter water from other water wells. The filtration systems were put into place beginning in 2016 after a change in testing requirements lowered the "acceptable" level of C8 and other potential contaminants in drinking water.
With the completed filtration systems, those levels are now "undetectable" in Vienna drinking water, officials said.
"It is very, very good water, as good as you can get," said Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp.
Tom Clutter with engineering firm AECOM said the charcoal filtration system is regularly tested and monitored and will be changed out as needed. Clutter said the system will be changed out on an annual basis regardless.
The system also has increased the amount of water being pumped from the wells due to its greater efficiency, and allows officials to monitor and balance usage in realtime among all of the wells.
"The system has improved our capabilities immensely," Rapp said. "Because we have three well fields, we can balance the system. If we need to take one of them offline, then we simply valve in distribution and we can still supply all the water we need."
Michael Erb can be reached at merb@newsandsentinel.com.