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 water to the customers of the Utility and to pay for the costs of providing the service through user charges.

Day-to-day supervision of the Water Utility belongs on the Director of Plant Operations and the Director of Systems Operations.

Four full-time employees, including one plant journey foreman and three journey operators, insure the quality and quantity of water being produced, provide routine preventive maintenance, and repair and maintain the various pieces of equipment associated with water production. In addition, their responsibilities include the sampling and analysis of water on a daily basis from various points within the distribution system. The Plant is capable of producing 1.5 million gallons of water per day. The Plant utilizes a lime-soda softening, with charcoal filtering. Chlorine and ammonia are used as disinfectants. In addition to supplying water to the City of Beloit, the water plant also supplies water to Rural Water District #1.

The responsibilities of the Water Systems Division fall on three full-time employees, including one system journey foreman and three system journey operators. They provide the daily maintenance and repair necessary to properly operate the system. There are approximately 60 miles of water main, 261 fire hydrants, and approximately 1,803 meters. The functions of this division include installing meters, repair of water main breaks, fire hydrant repair, valve maintenance, and installation of additional water main lines. 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.
Unregulated substances tested for...
  

Water Quality Report (2005)

This report provides information about your water system, and the water quality that the City provides to its patrons. Your water system provides safe drinking water--it's tested regularly by the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment. It's safe--it's good.

The City wants you to know that your water system has met every federal and state drinking water quality test.

As you read this report, consider that having a good supply of water for drinking and other uses around your home and property is essential. It's essential for public health, safety and welfare. Your Mayor, Council, City Administrator, and water system staff take the challenge of ensuring that the capacity of your system meets today's needs with an eye to the future and the potential to serve an ever-increasing population base.

Violations:  Some people who drink water containing trihalometanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.  Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity can indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches. Some people who drink water containing Atrazine well in excess of the MCL over many years could experience problems with their cardiovascular system or reproductive difficulties.

Beloit Water System routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to federal and state regulations. This table shows the results of the monitoring for the period January 1 to December 31, 2003. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It's important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.

You may find terms and abbreviations in the table, which you may not be familiar with. Here are some definitions:

Parts per million (ppm)-one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.00 dollars

Parts per billion (ppb)-one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.00 dollars

Action Level-the concentration of a contaminant, which if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow

Treatment Technique (TT)-a treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)-the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)-the maximum allowed is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU)-a measure of the clarity of water and as indicator of filtration performance. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

Picocuries Per Liter (pCi/L)-a measure of the radioactivity in water


Million Fibers Per Liter (MFL)-a measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are longer than 10 micrometers

Micro-ohms Per Centimeter (umho/cm)-the numeric expression of the ability of water to conduct an electric current

Microbial Contaminants-such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic tanks, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife

Inorganic Contaminants-such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occuring from urban storm water runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming

Pesticides and Herbicides-which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses

Organic Chemical Contaminants-including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems

Radioactive Contaminants-which can be naturally occuring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities

Total Coliform Rule-requires water systems to meet strict limits for Coliform bacteria. Coliform bacteria are usually harmless, but their presence in water can be an indication of disease-causing bacteria. When Coliform bacteria are found, special follow-up tests are conducted to determine if harmful bacteria are present in the water supply. The water supplier must also notify the public by newspaper, television or radio.

There were no tests for Beloit Water System that were in violation of the Maximum Contaminant Level. The testing results are printed in the table below. Please call the City Office or stop by if you would like a complete list of all tests and results.

Beloit Water Facts

2005 Testing Results for Beloit Water System, Beloit, Kansas

Contaminant

Violation
Y/N

Level
Detected

Unit of
Measurement

MCL

MCLG

Date

Likely Source of
Contamination

Microbiological

Total Coliform Bacteria

N

None

 

 

 

 

Naturally present in the environment.

Chemicals

Gross Alpha

N

Not Detected

pC/L

5

 

03/02

Erosion of natural deposit

Inorganic Chemistry

Arsenic

N

0.0018

Ppm

0.05

0.05

01/05

Erosion of natural deposit

Barium

N

0.039

Ppm

2.0

2.0

01/05

Discharge of drilling waste; erosion of natural deposits

Chromium

N

0.0027

Ppm

0.1

0.1

01/05

Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits

Fluoride

N

0.340

Ppm

4.0

4.0

01/05

Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

Mercury

N

<0.0005

Ppm

0.002

0.002

01/05

Erosion of natural deposits

Nitrate (N)

N

 0.32

Ppm

10

10

01/05

Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits

Selenium

N

0.0059

Ppm

0.05

0.05

01/05

Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines

Copper

N

0.026

Ppm

AL=
1.3

Sites
Over 0

06/04

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives

Lead

N

Not Detect

Ppm

AL=
0.015

Sites
Over 0

6/04

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits

Synthetic Organic Contaminants Including Pesticides and Herbicides

Alachlor

N

<0.0002

Ppm

0.002

0.0

6/6/05

Runoff from herbicide use on row crops

Atrazine

N

*0.00073
YRA

Ppm

0.003

0.003

11/05

Runoff from herbicide use on row crops

*YRA = Yearly Running Average                               Average Volatile Organic Contaminants

Total Trihalomethanes

Y

0.065-0.108

Ppm

0.08

0.0

2005

By-products of drinking water chlorination

Turbidity

Y

0.32

Ntu

0.3

 

2005

A measure of filtration performance
Haloacetic Acids N 0.030-0.057 Ppm 0.060   2005 By-product of drinking water disinfection

Alkalinity CaCO3 105 ppm
Calcium 30.42 ppm
Corrosivity 0.25 ppm
Magnesium 17 ppm

Nickel <0.0014 ppm
Aluminum 190 ppb
Chloride 230 ppm
Iron <0.01 ppm
Manganese 13 ppb

Potassium 16 ppm
Calcium 24 ppm

Silica 4.8 pm
Sodium 260 ppm
Specific Conductivity 1600 umho/cm

Total Dissolved Solids 970 ppm

Zinc <0.005 ppm
Silver <0.001 ppm
Sulfate 350 ppm
Total Hardness 130 ppm

Total Phosphorus (P) 0.52 ppm
pH 8.5 pH Unit

A word about monitoring water quality . . .

Your water system constantly monitors the water supply for various constituents. As you can see by the preceding table, the Beloit water
system had 3 violations in 2004. Some constituents have been detected through monitoring and testing.  The violations were corrected quickly and before the notices were sent out.  It has determined that your water is safe at these levels because of the rapid response by the water plant operators.  

All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Hot Line at 1-800-426-4791.

Water quality standards are set at very stringent levels. To understand the health effects described for many regulated constituent, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the maximum drinking water standard level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.**

The city has conducted a Source Water Assessment and is available for viewing at www.kdhe.state.ks.us/nps or the water plant office during regular business hours.

 

 

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Thank you for allowing the Beloit water system to continue providing your family with clean, quality water. To maintain a safe and dependable water supply, the water system sometimes needs to make improvements that will benefit all of the cities customers. These improvements are sometimes reflected as rate structure adjustments.

**Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants, can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advise about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lesson the risk of infection by microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

The Beloit Water System and Mitchell County work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. The system and its customers, working together, can help protect our water resources, our way of life and our children's future.

Please call the Water Plant Office at (785) 738-2275 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

Water Department