Water plant hums along

With little fanfare, Cloquet's new water treatment plant came online in December and so far things are going swimmingly.

Residents should notice little change in tap water because the plant is filtering a mineral that hasn't been present in recent years, after the city quit using one of its five wells. Now that well - which previously provided 30 percent of the city's water - is back in action, but with no added manganese because of the city's new $6.6 million facility.

Manganese occurs naturally in rocks and soil across Minnesota and is often found in ground and surface water. According to th...