  |
|
|
|
How's Our Water |
|
Coffeyville's Water Supply
Annual Drinking Water Quality
Report
Inside the Water Treatment Plant
"Coffeyville's
Water Source" The water source for the City of Coffeyville is surface water from the Verdigris River on North River Road. In addition, he City for many years has maintained a Water Purchase Contract with the Kansas Water Office for water at Elk City Reservoir. Fortunately the Verdigris has not reached the level where requesting this water has become a necessity for many years, but this additional water supply is available if conditions warrant its use. At the Water Plant located on River Road the water is continually tested and monitored. Quality standards for public water systems are set at very stringent levels and the City of Coffeyville water meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements. The City had no violations of safe drinking water regulations in 2001. The sources of drinking water, both tap and bottled water, include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants, but this does not indicate the water is unsafe to drink or a health risk. Contaminants which the City tests for include atrazine, barium, fluoride, haloacedic acids, nickel, nitrate, coliform bacteria, copper and lead. Each year every resident with a water tap is provided with a drinking water quality report. To obtain a copy, contact the Water Department, at 252-6150 or view the report at www.coffeyville.com. Chuck Shively, Director of Public Works, and Jim Bradshaw, Superintendent head our Water/Wastewater Department. This department has 29 full time employees and is responsible for maintaining 950,000 linear feet, or 180 miles, of water lines. There are just over 5,500 water customers served by the City, and our residential and commercial/industrial users average 2.9 million gallons of water daily. The Water Treatment Plant has a total capacity of 10 million gallons daily. An upgrade to the Water Treatment Plant has been approved at a total cost of nearly $2.4 million. The City works with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on all water projects, and the biggest portion of the project will go for filter and clearwell improvements. It’s easy to take our water for granted. The next time you turn your faucet on, remember that a great deal of time and testing goes into making sure that the City of Coffeyville delivers top quality water to every tap.
"Taking You Inside the Water Plant" The river water first enters the system at the pumping station located on the east side of the River Road. There are three pumps available at the pump station, however, only one is used under normal operating conditions leaving two as backup. The pumps are used alternately and when not in use maintenance can be performed if needed without having to shut the system down. In fact, there are backup systems or two independent systems throughout the entire plant, which insures that the plant will be able to continuously provide water. At the pump station, the water receives its first treatment of chemicals before going to the presedimentation basin, the clarifier and the final sedimentation basin. Throughout its travels, the water receives various chemicals such as alum, activated carbon, anionic polymer, chlorine and ammonia. The water then flows indoors to the filter beds where it trickles down through a sand and anthracite coal media and exits the bottom. From there the water is stored in a 16-foot deep clearwell. Next week’s article will focus on the clearwell and reservoirs used for storage. Work will begin soon on the nearly $2.4 million upgrade to the Water Treatment Plant which was built in 1973. The biggest portion of this upgrade project will be for filter and clearwell improvements. A Preconstruction Conference was held on Wednesday for the project. The pictures taken at the Water Plant shows one of the two presedimentation basins as well as a shot taken inside where much of the testing is done. If you look carefully at this picture, you can see water running from five spigots. The one on the far right is as it comes from the river. From right to left, it progresses through the various stages of treatment, and the spigot on the left in the first sink is the fully treated water as it comes out of our faucets. Click on pictures below for larger view
"Where Our Water Is Stored" The clearwell serves a dual purpose as it not only provides storage for the water, it allows contact time for the disinfectant to work. At the clearwell, there are three 250-horsepower pumps which move the treated water to the three underground reservoirs located approximately 180 feet above the plant. The reservoirs are located just north of the curve on Buckeye Street where you enter Pfister Park. Our reservoirs have served us well as Reservoir 1 was built in 1895 and holds 3,000,000 gallons. Reservoir 2 was built in 1940 and holds 2,280,000 gallons, and Reservoir 3 was built in 1973 and holds 3,720,000 gallons. The amount of pressure at the faucet is directly related to the elevation of the storage reservoir above that faucet, and Coffeyville is fortunate with the location of the Water Treatment Plant. The reservoirs are approximately 1,600 feet northwest of the river with the plant between the river and the reservoirs. The elevation of the river at the pumping station is about 700 feet while the elevation at the reservoirs is approximately 907 feet. Our average elevation in Coffeyville is 730 feet, which makes elevating the water towers unnecessary while at the same maintaining an average water pressure of approximately 60 pounds per square inch (psi). From the reservoirs, the water travels through some 180 miles of water lines to serve approximately 5,500 customers plus eight rural water districts, and the cities of Dearing and South Coffeyville. A vast amount of paperwork is involved in operating the Water Treatment Plant as required by federal and state regulations. An operator is on duty at the plant around the clock checking, testing and maintaining the water supply. The employees are also very safety conscious due to the amount of chemicals involved with our water supply. A Risk Management Plan has been developed which outlines the procedures necessary in the event of a leak or spill. In addition to all the paperwork included with the plant, Coffeyville’s official temperature, rainfall and river level are also recorded at the Water Treatment Plant. |
information@coffeyville.com