GARNETT — Garnett city commissioners decided to apply for $1.1 million in federal stimulus money to build a 12-inch water line to deliver water from Cedar Creek Reservoir to the city’s water treatment plant at Crystal Lake. Commissioners held a public hearing on the application recently. No members of the public attended the hearing. The project would increase the amount of water available in the future for new industries or other uses. The project would also improve the city water. The city water plant now draws water from Crystal Lake. However, because of sediment, the lake has gotten more shallow which has increased the growth of algae. The plant has to use more chemicals to treat the water and sometimes results in a bad taste and smell in the city’s water. The new line would go directly into the water plant. City manager Joyce Martin said she hopes that the city will get some good bids from contractors anxious to find more work.
