Featured Project

Post Rock Rural Water District Treatment Plant

Ellsworth County Rural Water District Number One or Post Rock Rural Water District (RWD) has completed a project to improve its surface water treatment and distribution operation. It is the largest expanse of public water system in Kansas, treating water from the surface of Kanopolis Reservoir in Ellsworth County. The maximum dependable treatment plant production is 1,000,000 gallons per day. The maximum demand in 2007 was 750,000 gallons per day occurring in August. As a public water system it must comply with federal and state safe drinking water standards. The cost of meeting new regulations is considerable, and led the RWD to apply for both US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. North Central Regional Planning Commission administered the CDBG funds — totaling $400,000 — awarded to Ellsworth County on behalf of the RWD. The RWD managed the Rural Development funds, totaling $347,400.

Updates needed to be made in order to comply with state and federal standards, including the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR) and State I Disinfectants/Disinfection By-Products Rule (D/DBPR). IESWT applies to all surface water supply systems, including Post Rock RWD and controls microbial pathogens.

Prior to project completion, the Post Rock RWD chlorinated water at once, prior to distribution throughout the system. The distribution system is extensive and the chlorine would dilute during distribution. To stay in compliance with State chlorination standards, the RWD had to add substantial amounts of chlorine to the system in order to maintain mandatory levels through distribution, as there was no way to chlorinate the water while in distribution. To solve this problem, the RWD looked to chlorinate the water in strategic areas, specifically those distant from the plant. In doing so the RWD could maintain state chlorine compliance without an initial and excessive chlorine injection, thereby improving water quality throughout the system.

There were also concerns regarding soil disturbances underneath the district’s vital booster pump station (#8) near Lucas and Wilson Reservoir. The soil was slumping and shifting, causing pipes to rupture. Erosion made it difficult for most local pump contractors to access the site, forcing the RWD to rent expensive equipment to make booster station repairs. This station supplies pressurized water to the north and west portions of the district including the cities of Paradise, Waldo, Luray, and portions of Osborne and Russell Counties. The district relocated this station to a more accessible site.

Construction began September 3, 2008 and was completed January 31, 2009. CAS Construction, which is based in Topeka, served as general contractor for the project and Wilson & Company, Inc. of Salina served as the project engineer. The North Central Regional Planning Commission served as project administrator.

For more information, contact John Cyr, Special Programs Manager at the NCRPC at 785-738-2218 or by email at jcyr@nckcn.com.