Public Wholesale Water
Supply District #4 of
Cherryvale, Kansas Wins America's Best Tasting Water!
(Washington, D.C.) – If you’re looking
for the best tasting water in the nation, move to Kansas. The
Public Wholesale Water Supply District #4 of Cherryvale, Kansas
took top honors today at the Fourth Annual Great American Water Taste
Test. The taste test is held each year on Capitol Hill in conjunction
with the National Rural Water Association’s Annual Rally in Washington,
D.C.
NRWA represents over 22,400 rural and
small utilities so you can see it is a tremendous accomplishment for
Public Wholesale Water Supply to win this national competition. They
competed against the top water systems from 44 state rural water
associations in order to secure this award.
The District, located in far southeast Kansas, treats water
from Big Hill Reservoir located near Cherryvale in Labette County. PWWSD
4 provides water to 14 other cities and rural water districts.
Public Wholesale District No. 4 treats water from
Pearson-Skubitz Big Hill Lake. The District pumps raw lake water to a
treatment plant just south of the lake dam. Treatment involves use of
ammonia sulfate and chlorine gas for combined chorine (disinfection). The
treatment also involves the use of dry alum and liquid caustic soda before
water enters the rapid mix processing. The treatment facility has three
upflow clarifiers where carbon and potassium permanganate is added to
enhance taste and eliminate any odor. PWWSD 4 adds hydrofluosilicic acid
for fluoride. Last, an anionic polymer is added to aid in the settling
process in the treatment basins.
The District supplies water to the cities of Altamont,
Bartlett, Cherryvale, Edna, Mound Valley, Parsons, and these rural water
districts: Labette 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 and Montgomery 2, 6 and 12.
Public Wholesale District No. 4 was constructed in 1983
- 84 with funding provided by Rural Development. The plant was expanded in
1999. The District typically treats 800,000 to 1,100,000 gallons of water
per day. The District has refinanced debt several times to take advantage
of declining interest rates. Most recently, the District obtained a loan
through the Kansas Public Water Supply Loan Fund to add covers to the
existing basins and to install a new chlorine contact basin after the 3
existing upflow basins. Two 5,600 gal. bulk storage tanks are being
installed to store liquid alum and caustic soda. The upgrade also
includes a new chlorine station at the District’s standpipe. This will
allow for rechlorination should that be needed during periods of extremely
high, summer temperatures. Other improvements include a new 100 HP high
service pump to replace an old 75 HP unit as well as additional chemical
feed pumps, new chlorine exhaust system in the basement and piping
upgrades. A new transfer switch for the standby electrical power is being
installed inside the plant rather than being exposed outdoors as the
present unit is. Last, a new SCADA system and computer are being added to
control the processes.
So how do you rate the taste of a product whose most
attractive quality is tasteleness? Judges at the recent Rural Water Rally
sponsored by NRWA based their decision on clarity, bouquet and taste.
The judges for the event were, Hilda Legg, Administrator
Rural Utilities Service; John W. Keys, III, Commissioner, Bureau of
Reclamation; and Sarah Lucas, Deputy Staff Director for the Democratic
Senate Committee.
The five finalist were: Public Wholesale
Water Supply District #4, Cherryvale, Kansas; Regional Water, Inc.,
Avoca, Iowa; Lake Section Water Co., Chaparral, New Mexico; Zephyr Water
Supply, Zephyr, Texas; and Town of Smithfield, Smithfield, Virginia.
State Rural Water Associations conduct
preliminary competitions selecting the best water from small and rural
systems to represent their state at the national finals.
In 2002, the Kansas winner was the City of Emporia that
ranked as one of the five finalists nationally.
Every April, the National Rural Water
Association sponsors the Rural Water Rally and Great American Taste Test
on Capitol Hill to give utility and state officials an opportunity to
visit one-on-one with their Congressional representatives and discuss key
water and wastewater issues.
Dennis Schwartz, NRWA Kansas Director and Immediate Past President accepts
award for Public Wholesale Water Supply.
Phil Bastin, NRWA President presents award to Dennis Schwartz.
Left to Right:
Sarah Lucas, Hilda Legg, Dennis Schwartz, John W. Keys, III
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