Moorhead completes $2.5 million ozone generator replacement at water treatment plant

Moorhead completes $2.5 million ozone generator replacement at water treatment plantThe utility successfully installed new ozone disinfection equipment without interrupting service, retiring original units that operated for more than three decades.

The $2.5 million project replaced primary disinfection equipment that had been in continuous service since 1994.

Veolia Water Technologies supplied the new generators, with CC Steel completing the construction phase.

The installation was phased sequentially between December 2025 and June 2026 to ensure uninterrupted water treatment.

The utility also reported its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project is 55 percent complete for water meters.

Moorhead Public Service (MPS) has finalized a $2.5 million replacement of the ozone generators at its water treatment plant, securing the utility's primary disinfection process for the future. Water Plant Manager Marc Pritchard reported the completion of the multi-year project to the Public Service Commission on July 21, 2026. Ozone has served as the primary disinfectant in the Moorhead water treatment process since the plant was placed into service in 1994. Through proactive maintenance, the utility achieved 32.5 years of continuous service from the original equipment, significantly exceeding the standard industry lifespan of 15 to 20 years. Initiated in late 2023, the replacement project involved engineering design by Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc. and HDR Engineering, Inc. The commission approved the direct purchase of new generators from Veolia Water Technologies, LLC in May 2024, and awarded the construction contract to CC Steel, LLC in July 2025. Construction and demolition took place between December 2025 and June 2026. To maintain continuous water disinfection, the contractor replaced the generators sequentially. The first new unit was installed, tested, and cleared for operation in April 2026 before the second unit was removed and replaced. The 30-day testing period for the final unit concluded in mid-July. "It's going to be hopefully a key piece of our strategy for another 32 years," Pritchard told the commission, noting that the sequential installation process allowed contractors to capture efficiencies during the replacement of the second unit. In a separate water infrastructure update, MPS Water Distribution Manager Jake Long reported that the utility's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project is advancing, with water meter exchanges now 55 percent complete. The utility expects to finish the remaining water meter installations by early 2027. Customers who refuse the new AMI water or electric meters face a $50 monthly non-conforming meter fee to recover the administrative costs of manual reading.