The City of Brainerd serves as the county seat for Crow Wing County and a crucial regional and economic center in central Minnesota. The natural beauty, unique outdoor experiences, and the historic downtown have made Brainerd a preferred destination for many. However, Brainerd’s existing water treatment facility is aging, with parts of the infrastructure over a century old. This aging infrastructure results in reduced capacity, obsolete media and parts, and inefficient operations. Moreover, the Minnesota Department of Health has notified the city about copper levels in the distribution system that exceed EPA action levels. To address these challenges, drinking water treatment improvements are essential to add copper corrosion control of residential pipes, meet all state and federal drinking water standards and city treatment goals. The total cost of these vital improvements is expected to exceed $25 million.
