In 2003, EPA Region Five gave notice that it would be moving forward with enforcement of new national radium standards for municipal water supplies in Wisconsin.

As a result, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) issued a notice requiring those communities exceeding the EPA’s radium limits to have approved radium removal methods in place and operational by December 8, 2006. Those communities that did not comply would potentially face legal actions and significant fines.

The City of Brookfield, Wisconsin took notice. Aware that two of its municipal wells were producing water with radium levels above the new standard limits, the City began researching available radium removal technology in early 2004. The technology selected by the City would need to remove radium and, due to the limited space available and the various utility facilities that shared the site with the two City wells, it would have to fit into the site and operate within a very confined space.

The site was also located in a well-established commercial area and next to a large, upscale shopping mall. Any facility constructed would need to incorporate an architectural treatment that would enable it to blend with the aesthetics of the surrounding structures and mall buildings. The building would also require a removable roof to facilitate future removal or replacement of the treatment equipment.

After completing pilot testing, the City elected to use a new and innovative removal method provided by Water Remediation Technology, LLC (WRT), located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The WRT Radium Removal process passes raw water through Z-88™ treatment media that removes radium. The WRT technology could also be installed and operated reliably considering the site constraints. With a total well pumping capacity of 1,300 gallons per minute (gpm), this would be the first large-scale municipal installation of the WRT radium adsorptive media technology in Wisconsin.

The length of time required to complete adequate pilot testing and gain regulatory approvals brought another challenge. Almost a full year had passed before sufficient data was available that would allow the City to make an informed decision and submit its plans to the WDNR for approval. By December 2005, the City had gained preliminary WDNR approval and was ready to move forward.

In January 2006, the City retained Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH®) to begin discussing the design for site work and the building that would house the radium removal equipment. The fast approaching WDNR deadline of December 8, 2006 meant that the schedule was becoming more critical with every passing week.

The City and SEH held their first meeting to discuss the project’s design concepts on February 23, 2006, with SEH starting the actual design process in April. Preliminary design, including building elevations and detailed architectural renderings, was completed in time for a presentation and approval at a May 16th meeting with the City’s Planning Commission. Final plans and specifications were presented to the City in late June. Bid documents were completed and advertised on July 16th. Altogether, the design phase was effectively completed in just three months from start to finish.

As the holidays approached, construction was staged to accommodate heavy mall traffic and to minimize the impact of construction in the area during the busy shopping season. Working together, the Project Team of the City of Brookfield, SEH, T.V. John and Son, Inc., and WRT completed construction of the 650 sq. ft., three-story building in less than 90 days, allowing the City to meet the EPA-mandatory compliance deadline with one day to spare.

Read more about the Brookfield Square Water Treatment Facility