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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 04.cI ❖ Salt Deliveries With the turning of the leaves, we have turned the corner from the warmth of summer to the cool and crisp of autumn. Invariably in Minnesota, that will give way to the biting cold and snow of a typical winter. It also means that we have begun preparations for snow removal and ice control. The first part of those preparations was the receipt of 1,500 tons of salt. The City purchases its salt through a cooperative purchasing venture with the State of Minnesota. We send our projected needs to the state each spring and they negotiate a contract with the vendors. Through the aggregation of both state and municipal needs, they are able to contract for the best prices for each entity. It also saves us time by doing away with the need to prepare specifications and request bids. The early delivery gives staff the opportunity to calibrate spreaders and means that we will be ready for the first winter storm. ❖ Spray Patching As we have mentioned in the past, repairing potholes and patching distressed areas of asphalt is almost a year round task. One thing new this year was the use of a spray patcher to help with some of the widely dispersed asphalt repair needs. A spray patcher is a self - contained unit that carries rock chips and emulsion that it uses to fill potholes and cover other LAKEVILLE OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE Christopher Petree, Director September 2010 surface distresses. The patcher drives up to the pothole, which has had the loose debris removed, and the nozzle on the front boom sprays the emulsion into the hole to help with bonding to the existing asphalt. The operator then sprays in a mix of emulsion and rock chips, much like standard hot mix, until the area is filled and level. It then covers the patch by spraying dry rock chips. The benefits to a spray patcher are the speed with which it works, the limited amount of support it requires, and the high quality of the resulting patch. The patches produced by the spray patcher appear to be as effective and long lived as any standard asphalt patch. ❖ 2009 Water Fluoridation Award The Utilities Division recently received the 2009 Water Fluoridation Quality Award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Presented by the Minnesota Department of Health, the award recognizes those water systems that adjust the fluoride concentration in drinking water to achieve a monthly average fluoride level that is in the optimal range for 12 months of a calendar year. Data supporting City fluoride levels is documented in the CDC's Water Fluoridation Reporting System. Water fluoridation's primary goal is the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwi ..Weal, Peer... 2009 Water Fluoridation Quality Award LAKEVILLE Minnesota 11.. Coons far A ,, Can.? I rl...w, an.....!, this savor spay., ¢, :a onsuidnol and profrational d... of � . M �w d•.. y a J. . 1� 12 .L,.. _aMk.. Caw :614 kiiennigy ewer fuevattion 'ream as d.asmerve d b eli. safe "mews, •ak and 4.1i. wil d to arse.nt emd dray keen s dsa,dhad& •l .e.n.a.xy mama aigem RaevnIJ w dae .,rear. for Meea.e Control and Prevention 11wt< 1 State. Department or Heald, A llama,, Sera LIM 4 to prevent tooth decay, which is one of de. Fluoride can be found in most water sources though levels may not be within the recommended range. Utilities staff measure levels in Lakeville's water daily to ensure that enough is added to reach the proper level required by the state. The CDC initiated the award program in 2002 to recognize outstanding performance by water systems. Lakeville is one of a number of cities receiving this award. This year marks the 65 anniversary of community water fluoridation. 2 ❖ Water Use Overall water use throughout the summer reflected the abundance of rain that the area has received. According to the National Weather Service, the metropolitan area has received approximately 38 days of rain at .1 inches or greater. That is 60 percent more days of rain than we received in 2002 and the most days of rain in the last 10 years. The amount and timing of the rain is reflected in our water use where our peak day this past summer, occurring on August 29, was just over 13 million gallons. That is the lowest summer peak in the last 10 years. This summer has been one of the best indicators of the impact that the weather has on the water system. 3