Above, Grand Marais Public Utilities water plant operator Neil Hansen gave 4th & 5th grade Sawtooth Elementary students a tour of the fresh water plant located in the tourist park. Fifth grade teacher Julie Viren stands with some of her students inside the plant last Wednesday during a tour of the facilities. Students walked throughout town taking in different venues and sites of town.
Neil Hansen, one of the operators of the water and wastewater facilities for Grand Marais Public Utilities, had a ready smile and more than a few facts for the Sawtooth Elementary students who toured the water plant last Tuesday.
“Did you know,” he asked the kids, “that there are more than 14 miles of water and sewer lines underneath the city of Grand Marais?”
“Did you know that on a busy day, like Fisherman’s Picnic, the PUC can put out 400,000 gallons of water per day? But on average, we produce about 200,000 gallons of water per day.”
“Why does there need to be less water?” asked one child.
“Well, for one thing you don’t water your lawn in February,” said Hansen, adding, “It is also based on the number of people who are staying at hotels, motels, taking showers, flushing toilets.”
The water purification plant, which is located in the tourist park, has 100,000 gallons of water stored beneath the building, keeping the facility cool all year. There are also two other holding facilities that store 300,000 and 200,000 gallons of water that can be used in an emergency.
“If we have a breakdown or a problem, we have enough water in reserve to last one day, maybe one-and-one-half days,” said Hansen. “But then we would have to get the plant up and running.”
“Did you know,” Hansen asked, “that we can pump 250 gallons per minute uphill? Did you also know that half of the country gets its water from surface water—like Lake superior— and the other half get their water from wells?”
Next Hansen told the kids about the price of water and compared it with other places.
“In Grand Marais there is a $14 per month hook-up fee and then we charge $5.25 per 1,000 gallons. That works out to half a cent per gallon.”
Hansen held up some water he had purchased at area stores. “Thisone was $1.69 per gallon. Here, this water costs $4.20 per gallon, and it’s on sale.
“In New York citizens pay 8/10ths of a cent per gallon. In San Diego and Sydney, Australia, residents pay 1.6 cents per gallon. In Rome, they pay the same as we do, here.
“In Thailand, 45 percent of the people don’t have running water. Theyhave to go to wells and fill up jugs. We’re lucky here. There are places in the world where people don’t have it as easy as we do.”
The first water treatment plant was constructed in Grand Marais in 1938. “Before that, everyone had a well,” said Hansen.
So how much does a leaky pipe cost?
“If you have a pipe with a hole in it the size of the lead in a no. 2 pencil, it would leak 360 gallons of water per day, or about 11,000 gallons per month. That would cost about $60 more per month. If your toilet runs constantly, that will double your water usage. It’s best to get those leaks fixed, even a dripping faucet. It all adds up, and it costs you money,” said Hansen.
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