ONE SMALL STEP FOR COUNCILMEMBERS
ONE GIANT LEAP FOR VICTORIA RESIDENTS
The Gallery.  According to Victoria Building Official Tom Gray, the city councilmembers and staff are waving from the "Lower Pump Gallery" at the Victoria Water Treatment Plant.  The editor (also on tour) was pointing her camera from the "Upper Pump Gallery."  Explained Tom, "Both areas contain valves and piping to move water from one water treatment processing area to another."

The Generator.  Victoria Fire Chief Tim Walsh identified the various rooms and spaces in the Fire Station Expansion side of the project, but was photographed here with the bright yellow generator in the Water Treatment Plant side of the project.
According to Tom Gray, "This generator is run on natural gas and is designed to supply the Water Treatment Plant and Fire Station with power, should the electricity go out - something that happens quite often on the Excel Energy supplied side of the city.  This generator is permanently installed.  The City of Victoria has several other portable generators that can be moved from one part of the city to another in order to supply electricity to wells and sewer lift stations in case of an emergency." 

The Tundra.  It looks like the Deep Tundra as viewed and photographed from an eastern window of the Water Treatment/Fire Station project.  In fact, it's a large window onto that barren part of Victoria heading east out of town on Highway 5, going toward Park Drive … and Chanhassen.
Buried beneath this tundra at the Water Treatment Plant is an underground tank that holds approximately 615,000 gallons of water, according to Tom Gray.  "From this underground holding tank, the water is piped (after it is treated) to the water tower (and future water towers) to give the water the 'umph' it needs to get to the city's home and busi-nesses."
The water tower located near Holy Family Catholic High School holds 500,000 gallons of water.

WATER TREATMENT PLANT 75% COMPLETED
SITE WORK WILL OCCUR ALL SUMMER
Victoria City Engineer Cara Geheren reported on January 12^th that the Victoria Water Treatment Plant under construction on Hwy 5 since last spring is 75% completed.  Cara Geheren is an engineer with TKDA; Jack Griffin's promotion within the company means less of his time working as city engineer for Victoria. 

"The expensive part is complete," she said.  "There is a whole lot of roofing and interior work left, and also the parking lot.  April 13^th is the substantial completion date, when it should be operational.  There will be site work during the rest of the summer."
In response to questions from Victoria coun-cilmembers, Cara said it's an iron and manganese removal plant.  Manganese is the black oily substance that is often found in toilets. 
The project is on time and only over budget by $1,200.  Total contract amount is $8,428,285 including the Fire Station Expansion Improvement.  It is an all-inclusive project.
A tour of the joint facility was held for councilmembers at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 26^th, led by Victoria Building Official Tom Gray, Victoria Public Works Superintendent Bruce Osborn, and Victoria Fire Chief Tim Walsh.  Everyone wore hardhats because work remained in progress during those afternoon hours.

LOOKING AT GENERATOR NEEDS
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY IN VICTORIA

Victoria councilmembers authorized an expenditure not to exceed $6,000 for TKDA to study the standby requirements that the City of Victoria would need to keeps its water system and sanitary lift stations in operation during an emergency. 
The standby generator currently lo-cated at the Water Treatment Facility only serves the treatment facility in case of emergency, said Victoria Public Works Superintendent Bruce Osbsorn.  "This study will detail what services and what level the city can or will operate in an emergency," he said.  TKDA, the city's engineering firm, will find out the most efficient way to pump lift stations, for example, in an emergency. 
Said City Engineer Cara Geheren, "With the city's new facilities and wells coming online, the city has to set a policy for level of service they want to provide in an emergency."
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