The Water Utility Department is divided into two divisions: (1) the Water Treatment Plant; and (2) the Water Distribution System. An enterprise fund, the function of this department is to produce and deliver the highest quality of water to the customers of the Utility and to pay for the costs of providing the service through user charges.
Employees are charged with assuring the quality of water being produced meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Kansas Department of Health & 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 II surface water treatment facility capable of producing 750 gallons of water per day. Chlorine in combination with ammonia is used for disinfection, with three filters to complete the process. In addition to supplying water to the City of Oswego, the water plant also supplies water to Labette County Consolidated Rural Water District #1, Hoag and Neosho Water Districts.
Every year the utility sends customers 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 be viewed at the above link.
The City Council has sufficient water rights to meet the needs of the community. However, the City does have a Municipal Water Conservation Plan (MWCP) that was established in 2010 for times of drought or other low water situations. During drought conditions the City Council could issue a Stage 1 Water Watch. This is the first step in our MWCP. A Stage 1 Water Watch is a heightening of awareness of the water conditions for the public and an effort to maintain the integrity of our water supply. If conditions persist or worsen a Stage 2 Water Warning would then be issued with the final and most severe Stage 3 Water Emergency. In any event citizens can check the website to keep updated when drought conditions persist and are encouraged
to remember that water is a natural resource so it is in everyone's best interest to keep conservation in mind even when water seems plentiful. For some ways to conserve and save on your water bill check out the following Water Conservation Tips.
The responsibilities of the Water Distribution System are to provide the daily maintenance and repair necessary to properly operate the system. Employees replace water meters and repair water lines and mains as needed. There are approximately 20.64 miles of water main, 169 fire hydrants and approximately 1,000 meters. The function of this division include meter reading, service connects and disconnects, checking for leaks, repair of leaks, replacing water meters and boxes, and updating the water main maps as needed.
On November 7, 2011 the City was recognized by the USDA Rural Development for partnering with them to improve the City's water system. For the complete news release and a radio podcast of the event click here.