Direct From the Source
The Intake
The Inlet is a 54” steel intake pipe located 3000 feet offshore that gently funnels water to a raw water pump station. Potassium Permanganate is dispensed at the inlet to discourage zebra/quagga mussel attachment.
Raw Water Pump Station
Water is drawn from an inlet structure 3,000 feet offshore and is directed to a raw water pump station through a 54-inch diameter steel intake pipe. A treatment to discourage zebra mussel attachment is introduced at the inlet structure and removal of algae and large debris is screened from the water at the pump station.
Raw water pumps lift the water 110 feet and convey the raw water approximately two miles through a 48-inch pipeline to the Paul M. Neal Water Treatment Facility. Click Here to learn about the treatment process.
Raw Water Pipeline to the Plant
The water then travels through two miles of transmission pipeline that transports Lake Michigan water from the RWPS to a state-of-the-art water treatment facility.
