MASON CITY – One interesting topic of discussion at Monday’s City Council goal-setting session was the possibility of bottling water treated in Mason City and offering it for sale.
Mason City’s wastewater treatment plant contains the world’s third largest electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technology system. The plant was re-built in 2004 at a cosst of $18 million. The city draws raw water from the Jordan Aquifer through nine wells.
City Council member Jean Marinos has continually offered Mason City’s water as a marketing tool, and said Monday night that “we really need to look” at the possibility of selling water treated in Mason City for sale outside the city.
City Administrator Brent Trout said the city has looked at this possibility in the past and will continue to research whether the opportunity could become a reality.
“We looked at the possibilities of entering a taste competition,” Trout said. “The next step is to determine what the cost would be to do a small bottling system here if want to sell our own water with our own label.”
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Is it possible that the Council could start concentrating its efforts on its stated goals and priorities???? Is that too much to ask. It just gets crazier all the time. They keep wanting to spend the money we supposedly don’t have on frivolous things and then go into the budget hearings asking to cut needed services.. Get a grip for Gods Sakes!!!
Of course, I am sure the lovely sculptures are drawing thousands to downtown MC- yeah right!!! I am a supporter of the Arts– but my God– these are the most distasteful things I have ever seen. Those people things on the Plaza looks like freaks of nature and the other things with legs hanging out and stemming out of a rear-end on State– what in the world is that??? And all for the low low price of over $ 40,000.
Anyone driving in downtown MC at nite. Our Christmas lights are hideous!!! It does not look festive or inviting!!! Halogen lights on the lite poles and they clash with the white lights on the buildings. No color, no Holiday Spririt– Another brilliant idea from some committee that has its head up its wazoo!!!
IT is such a shame that ” real people” have to work for a living and don’t have flex schedules that allow for joining committees, boards and organizations that would benefit from their experience and common sense…
I really am not trying to be negative..but Mason City water is the worst tasting water I have EVER tasted…lately it is really bad, smelly chemical, clorine taste and smell…also my water bill a few months back had a state madatory warning that we were over in listeria levels or something..no one talks about that…I did not know we had some fancy 3rd in the world system…what the hell did we pay for if our water tastes and smells this bad?
@Chuck, That electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technology system is at the waste water (sewage) treatment plant at 2950 South Birch Drive, not the water treatment plant at 339 13th St. NE that we get our drinking water from.
@ArmBears- What planet are you from where this sounds like an excellent idea? Do you actually think they will use it to lower the cost of our services or will they use it to decorate the city with $20,000 more of ugly iron sculptures? It appears to me ArmBears is involved in the water project as this is the only way anyone could think it is a “powerful economic draw…on so many levels” lol.
Excellent Idea! Market the product, bottle it, sell it, and then use the revenue to lower the cost of Mason City Services to Residents of River City and Local Businesses. What a powerful economic draw to our community on so many levels.
Instead of selling bottled water, maybe they should consider another product. I suggest they try selling some canned bullshit instead. There seems to be no shortage of that.
How about we put up a stand in front of city hall and Marinos and the fat man could sell it giving them something to do other than screwing up this city. Your right just my opinion some days you can smell the chlorine.
Wonderfull idea. Brand it as Wright on the Park water and it will sell all over the wourld.
Who are they going to sell it to? People from Mason City? ha. Is this going to be a private or public business? If it’s public, anything these guys get their hands into turns into a mess. They couldn’t market a product to save their lives. If it’s a private business, I see all sorts of problems i.e. tax incentives, water incentives, etc. How would the current water infrastructure handle the demand on the system for all of that extra water?
PS: Better build the water plant on the Southeast side of town, you know everything tastes better over there where they butter their toast on both sides.
First of all it does not come from the wastewater treatment plant. Second of all our water must meet strict standards that bottled water does not. If you think bottled water is more safe. I am sorry but you are wrong. As far as the taste in your house, that can be anything from old galvanized pipe to a smelly old ate up anode rod in your water heater. The city’s water is in fact some of the best. But could they sell it?? Highly unlikely. They want to get rid of the employees they have now! Anyone with common sense would see that, but they will have to throw a few thousand dollars at it first to make sure.
What a great idea, since Mason City has such a GREAT name now.
My guess is there is no real intention to sell the water.
Yet is an effort to make it look like they are researching it they will soon be taking tax payer paid trips to locations to view how the bottle their water. France, The Rockies, and whatever place looks like a nice place to go on the tax payer dime in the name of research.
Then there will need to be more tax payer studies, conducted by family members or other friends of the elite at whatever cost can be kept from the tax payers.
Then we will see if some of our other friends can wholesell us equipment and pass back discounts off the books.
You get the idea. Does this lady actually have some colleg education and in what?
I smell a lawsuit ? Gee a million dollar investment run by green energy guys from maybe soylandria – Are you morons blowing some of that funny smelling smoke?
I Can’t stand the taste of our tap water and drink it only after going thru the frig filter. Maybe we could call it >septic city sludge and put it in a glow in the dark green bottle.<
Right! You can buy bottled water for 10 cents a bottle at walmart – You could not buy the bottle itself for that in Mason city – Did obammer send a message to the city fathers – you know he knows how to run a business – NOT !
Am I missing something here, when did the city start pumping waste water into our water system. I really don’t care if the city does have the third largest electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technology system in the world, I don’t care to drink water from the sewage plant. The city might have a better chance at selling dirt that Meridith Wilson walked on.
WOW !!!! What a moronic idea! But not surprised coming from a pack of idiots !!
Wow-maybe it taste better on their side of town than it does on mine. I drink it but can really taste the chemicals in it. My wife won’t drink it at all. I must say that I have lived in places where Mason City water would taste like nector from the god’s. I don’t think a city government should be involved in retail like this. They have plenty of problems just trying to run the city.
Dont bottle it? Give it to the golf course so maybe next year, the golf course can have some grass to play on.
Huh? I don’t even like the taste of Mason City’s water. I filter it to make it taste better. Way too much chlorine (or whatever they use nowadays) for me. Am I the only one who doesn’t care for the taste?
What the Council really should look at selling is STUPIDITY. Between the two brainless women and all the yes men, they have a plethera of stupidity. And since the uneducated Democratic voter is ALWAYS buying stupidity, we should be in great fiscal shape!
Amen to that!!!
yeah that makes sense wasnt the water harmful to drink not to long ago
i remember getting something in the mail saying that the water had failed its testing
Maybe they could start there own brewery like Coors. They could call it Hog Heaven. Carters brother sold Billy Beer.
first waste money on statues now wana sell off brand farm water haha what a joke
to city counsole-drugs are bad umm kay…
you have no idea what you are getting into. First off ask yourself is this the roll of government? Now who are you going get to wholesale it? Everyone else who is selling a beverage is not going to give up shelf space to put a no name water in it’s place. It would be like the Ford dealer asking a Chevy to park a few cars on the lot. Woman, deal with city issues and stay the hell out of the private sector.
From farm run-off – yum.
“River City” sounds better and is more well known.