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Treatment & Distribution
An updated Consumer Confidence Report.
On July 28, 2006, the City of Horton experienced a situation of
extremely high chlorine residuals in its water treatment
operations. While the employees of the City of Horton always try
their hardest to keep water safe and within permissible limitations,
when mistakes or mechanical malfunctions occur, the City of Horton
learns from these sitatuations.
Since this instance, the City of Horton has implemented several new procedures that will narrow the chances of such a situation happening in the future. The following changes and actions have occurred or are currently occuring to prevent such a situation from happening in the future:
- Preparation of an Emergency Water Supply Plan: This plan, already being implemented and executed twice, allows the City to follow a proper chain of command and alerting procedure, including automated calling to all utility customers of the City of Horton and press releases to all radio and television media.
- Installation of New Monitoring Equipment. New chlorination monitors were installed earlier in the treatment process so that high chlorine residuals were caught early in the treatment process. Prior to the July 28th event, equipment only monitored chlorine residuals as the water exited the plant. The new equipment monitors the water as it leaves the sedimentation basis (the first stage in the treatment process) and allows City personnel to be alerted nearly 400,000 gallons in advance that chlorine residuals are higher than permissible.
- Installation of a Sedimentation Cover. One of the major
contributing factors to the high chlorine residuals found on July 28th
was ultraviolet sunlight removing chlorine from the waters in the
sedimentation basin. Because the UVs were removing the chlorine,
water operators were forced to test regularly and eventually add
another chlorinator to be sure enough chlorine was being added to the
water. Since the July 28th event, a cover has been installed and
chlorine residuals have remained consistenly between 2.1 and 2.6
micrograms per liter (mg/l), well within permissible limits, with
little-to-no active monitoring, besides the monitoring that occurs
manually and automatically throughout the day.
- Replacement of Non-Working Valves. One major lesson learned
during the July 28th event was that had the main water valves in town
been functioning, the 200,000 gallon water tower could have been
bypassed and water service could have been restored much sooner to
water service customers. As a result of the July 28th events, the
Horton City Commission, City Administrator, and City Personnel have
worked patiently, yet diligently, to see that these valves were
replaced so that water could be restored to water service customers of
the City of Horton. The first four of six valves were changed on
October 10, 2006, and pictures of the process can be viewed at
http://www.hortonkansas.net/government/water-department.
