Just waiting for funding
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
Improving a city’s water access can be a tedious, time-consuming process, but by the time the city of Turtle Lake has its new water tower and water main project finished, residents will be able to rely on improved water pressure, better fire protection, and a new water tower that will require a lot less maintenance.
After reviewing the latest cost estimates presented by Moore Engineering at the Turtle Lake city commission’s recent meeting, all that really needs to be done to move forward with the project is to get the state’s funding, noted Turtle Lake City Auditor Darwin Saari.
Reviewing some of the project numbers, the total cost of the project is $3.655 million, of which Turtle Lake’s portion will be about $540,000, with McLean Sheridan Rural Water picking up its share of about $523,000.
While the state is picking up a major chunk of the project, the city of Turtle Lake is paying for its share by taking out a loan, which will result in an increase in residents’ monthly water bills of about $12 to $14.
“That’s just an estimate,” noted Saari. The final cost will depend on how the bids for the project come in.
“It’s not going to be greater than that, and there’s probably a good chance it will be less,” he added.
