The City of Beloit Water Department.
The Water Utility Department is divided into two divisions: (1) the Plant Division and (2) the Systems Division. An enterprise fund, the stated intent of this Department is to produce and deliver the highest quality water to the customers of the Utility and to pay for the costs of providing the service through
user charges.
The office staff is responsible for assisting the Council in meeting identified goals; developing agenda items for the City Council; writing procedures to accompany City policies, and providing general administrative support.
The Water Treatment Plant utilizes four full-time employees, including one plant foreman and three journey operators. They are charged with insuring the quality of water being produced meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Standards, through daily sampling from various points within the plant and distribution system. In addition, their responsibilities include providing routine maintenance and repair of various pieces of equipment associated with water production. The Water Plant is a class III surface water treatment facility capable of producing 1.5 million gallons of water per day. The Plant utilizes a lime-soda softening process. Chlorine in combination with ammonia is used for disinfection, with anthracite coal and sand filters to complete the process. In addition to supplying water to the City of Beloit, the water plant also supplies water to Rural Water District #1.
Every year, in July, the utility sends out a copy of the Consumer Confidence Report. This report contains information about the quality of the water the City has provided to its customers the previous year. A copy of this report can also be picked up at the City Office in the Municipal Building at 119 N. Hersey, Beloit, KS.
The City Council recently approved a contract with the Bureau of Reclamation that ensures the City of Beloit has 2,000 acre feet of storage as long as Waconda Lake exists.
The responsibilities of the Water Systems Division fall on three full-time employees, including one system foreman and two journey operators. They provide the daily maintenance and repair necessary to properly operate the system. They also replace one to two miles of water main each year. There are approximately 60 miles of water main, 299 fire hydrants, and approximately 1,800 meters. The functions of this division include locating and mapping all water mains. Fire hydrants are color coded to help, an outstanding, all volunteer fire department keep our fire insurance class 5 rating. Two additional shared employees provide such services as meter reading; service connects and disconnects, checks for leaks at the meter, and the testing of meters. These employees also perform the required meter change-outs and meter box maintenance.
