California-based Niagara Water is proposing to invest about $65 million to build a beverage bottling facility in Eau Claire that would create 58 jobs. The proposal, which would increase the city’s water usage by about 5% initially, will be considered this week by the Eau Claire City Council.

California-based Niagara Water is proposing to invest about $65 million to build a beverage bottling facility in Eau Claire that would create 58 jobs. The proposal, which would increase the city’s water usage by about 5% initially, will be considered this week by the Eau Claire City Council.

EAU CLAIRE — A California-based water company has proposed building a multimillion-dollar beverage bottling facility on the northwest side of Eau Claire that would use about 425,000 gallons of city water per day.

Niagara Waters is proposing to build a 500,000-square-foot plant in Gateway Northwest Business Park that would bottle and sell city water. Company officials indicate they would invest about $65 million in the plant that they expect to create 58 full-time jobs paying an average of more than $59,000 a year.

The Eau Claire City Council is scheduled to take comments on the proposal at its public hearing session tonight (Monday) and vote on a resolution authorizing City Manager Stephanie Hirsch to enter into a development agreement with developer Purple Rain Properties at its Tuesday meeting.

If the project is approved, the developer would plan to break ground for the plant in 2023 and complete construction no later than March 31, 2025.

A proposed agreement with the city calls for Niagara to begin paying property taxes estimated at $1 million a year on a facility with an assessed value of at least $50 million by Jan. 1, 2025.

Niagara anticipates that a planned Phase 2 expansion would double its water usage to about 850,000 gallons a day, according to the city, which derives its name from the French term for clear water.

City Councilman Andrew Werthmann said he has concerns about a proposal he calculates would increase the city’s total water use by roughly 5%, with the possibility of that doubling if the company were to pursue the potential expansion.

“To me it’s pretty clear that people in Eau Claire care deeply about their water,” Werthmann said. “This is just a very precious resource that is integral for the health and well-being of our community.”

Considering the existence of severe water shortages in some parts of the country, Werthmann said, “One of my major concerns, obviously, is just how does this line up with what our water outlook is for the next few decades.”

Werthmann said the concerns, along with a belief that the public should have an opportunity to weigh in, prompted Councilwoman Kate Beaton and him to call Friday for the proposal to be added to the agenda for the council’s public hearing session.

“It’s not OK for a decision this big to not be properly vetted,” said Werthmann, who in a Facebook post encouraged residents to share their opinions by attending the public hearing or emailing council members.

A summary of the project prepared by city staff for the council’s agenda packet indicates the plant’s water use is “within the city’s ability to serve” and says a proposed one-year notice for potential expansion would give both parties time to plan for any needed increase in water utility capacity.

The proposed agreement indicates the developer has made its own assessement of the adequacy and safety of the municipal water supply. The city has taken actions over the past year to address elevated levels of PFAS chemicals, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in some wells at the city well field along Riverview Drive.

Niagara also would have to agree that the city has police and emergency powers to protect and preserve public welfare and thus would maintain the authority to take action or even terminate service in the unlikely event that sufficient drinking water for Eau Claire residents were ever at risk.

Contact: 715-833-9209, eric.lindquist@ecpc.com, @ealscoop on Twitter

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