Water Treatment

About the Water Treatment Facility

Pittsburg’s Water Treatment Plant was constructed in 1972 and is located approximately one-half mile south of 4th Street (K-126) on Free King Highway.  It was originally designed to provide a peak capacity of 5.4 million gallons per day (MGD), but since upgraded in 2012 the Water Treatment Plant now has a peak capacity of 8.2 MGD. Pittsburg’s Water Treatment Plant currently provides on average 2.6 MGD of clean, safe drinking water to approximately 8600 service connections within our service area.  The City of Pittsburg has approximately 3.7 MG of total water storage capacity with (2) – 750,000 gallon elevated storage tanks, (1) – 250,000 gallon elevated storage tank, a 1.5 MG underground downtown reservoir and a 500,000 gallon onsite reservoir at the water plant.

Staffed 24 hours a day 365 days a year, the upgraded facility, with approximately 3.7 MG of water storage capacity and an emergency generator to serve as a backup supply for the entire facility,  stands ready to become a regional supplier of water if the need presents itself.

WATER TREATMENT VIDEO

Water Source/Rights

Pittsburg has 4 groundwater wells.  Each well is approximately 1,080 feet deep and has a capacity of approximately 1,875 – 2,225 gallons per minute to supply water to the treatment plant.  These wells are set in the Rubidoux formation of the Ozark Plateau Aquifer and have a capacity of 11 MGD. Currently, the City of Pittsburg has water rights secured through 2035 through the state of Kansas.

Pittsburg Water Treatment Process

• Water is pumped from the wells to the plant.
• Water is aerated in aeration towers to remove dissolved gasses (such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide) and volatile organic contaminants as well as oxidizes dissolved metals such as Iron and Manganese.
• Lime, aluminum sulfate and polymer are added to reduce/remove hardness from the water while in 2 large solid contact settling basins.
• The water is then filtered through large multimedia filters to remove any suspended particles or organic materials.
• Chlorine (disinfection, free Cl2), fluoride (dental) and phosphate (anti-corrosion) are added to the water prior to entering the onsite underground reservoir.
• Water is pumped from the onsite reservoir into the water distribution system using large distribution pumps.
• The 3 elevated storage tanks along with the distribution pumping maintain adequate system pressure and storage for domestic use and fire protection.

Drinking Water Quality

The City of Pittsburg Water Treatment Plant is designated a Class IV water treatment facility and is required to ensure the city’s drinking water supply meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water quality standards.  These standards are set forth by the EPA, KDHE and the Clean Water Act. The staff collects 20 monthly city water quality samples for testing to ensure chlorine residuals meet minimum standards and there is no presence of bacteria in our drinking water.

The staff also routinely collects lead and copper, fluoride and disinfection by-product samples as required by state and federal agencies.

Consumer Confidence Report

Treatment Plant Tours

The Water Treatment Plant will provide tours to individuals or groups when advance notice is given. The Treatment Facility is available for tours Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, except on major holidays.