The City of Bagley is getting closer to installing their new water system through Xenia Rural Water Supply.

With an election measure passed by residents last November the City granted Xenia a franchise to extend their water to the City, after the City’s water supply was found unsafe for consumption due to high manganese levels that were found in March 2019. The Council let the project out for bid earlier this summer, and opened the bids on July 23rd. Mayor John Mathews says they were delighted to receive 10 contractor bids, and he describes what construction will entail, “The construction of course is roughly 24,000 feet of pipe to get the stuff to our door, and then we have a lift station which will be built off site and installed in the City Park area which is land that the City currently owns. And then there will be a fence around it so it’s secure and has got all the safety measures built into it so that we don’t have any concerns whatsoever about vandalism or any of those things.”

The Council is expected to award a bid on August 3rd. The total cost of the project including engineering and legal expenses is estimated around $1.2 million. The City has so far received a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant, and a $500,000 State Revolving Fund loan which is 75% forgivable. Mathews says the remaining expenses will likely be covered by higher water fees for residents, but he doesn’t anticipate them being a burden. The City hopes for the new system to be functioning by January 31st, 2021.