When the City of Horton became concerned about the need for a secondary water source, they hired BG Consultants to identify available options. Although the City maintains a vested water right from Mission Lake, their existing water treatment plant was only used for the filtration of groundwater and was unable to treat raw surface water. BG engineers created a hydraulic model for the City that illustrated the need for system-wide distribution improvements, including rehabilitation of the existing treatment plant and Mission Lake dam.

BG’s design plans included upgrading the treatment facility for the safe treatment of surface water, as most of the components within the plant were inoperable and ineffective. Improvements to slope protection along the face of Mission Lake dam were also determined necessary because of undermining that BG discovered in the evaluation phase.

The overall scope of system-wide distribution improvements was scaled down to fit within the City’s budget. A mainline replacement to upsize a smaller diameter water main along Highway 73 became a top priority. The new 10 inch diameter main was re-aligned with consideration of trees, sidewalks, landscaping, existing utilities, access, and traffic control. This improvement provides a substantial increase in service flows and reduces pressure fluctuations in the northern Horton area. The project was funded with a loan/grant combination by the USDA.