MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the El Dorado Public Utilities Department is to provide the citizens of El Dorado with a broad spectrum of Utility services, including: a fiscally sound drinking water production facility; proactive maintenance and enhancement of the water distribution system and sewer collection system; and a wastewater treatment facility that produces an effluent that meets or exceeds all state and federal regulations.

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WATER METER SALES

Water meters come in various sizes and the following information will help you choose the best size for your needs.

¾" Meter – The most common meter in older residential areas. Flow capabilities are 20 to 25 gallons per minute. Not adequate to supply household needs and sprinkler system. Cost - $350 installed and $100 refund on trade-in.

1" Meter – We have recommended the 1" meter for new construction for the last 25 years, therefore it is the most common size meter in newer developments. Flow capabilities are 50 gallons per minute. This is usually adequate to supply household needs and a sprinkler system. Cost - $450 installed and $100 refund on trade-in. ($350 net cost if upgrading from a ¾" meter.)

1.5" Meter – More typical in commercial applications or large sprinkler systems. Flow capabilities are 100 gallons per minute. Cost - $100 over our cost to install.

2" Meter – Commercial Applications and large sprinkler systems. Flow capabilities are 200 gallons per minute. Cost - $100 over our cost to install.

For more information, contact Distribution Superintendent Zeke Reed at 316-321-9100, or email to zreed@eldoks.com.

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INFLOW & INFILTRATION

What is Inflow & Infiltration?

Infiltration and Inflow, commonly referred to as I & I, can best be described as water that enters the City’s sanitary sewer system that should not be there. This would include sump pumps in homes that pump directly to the sanitary sewer system; guttering downspouts or roof drains piped directly to the sanitary sewer system; and area drains in driveways, stairways and window wells etc. All of these contribute to the I & I problem.

I & I places a tremendous financial responsibility on municipalities, and eventually costs individual ratepayers more on their monthly bills.

For more information, Inflow and Infiltration brochures are available at City Hall or the Public Utilities Department.

If my sump pump water doesn’t go in the sanitary sewer, where should it go?

There are a multitude of uses for water pumped from the sump pump. The water is generally very clean because of the natural filtration of the home’s under drain system; so many people pipe it out to a water garden in the backyard. This keeps cool, clean, chlorine-free water in the garden without you having to fill it.

If you are not into water gardens, the water can be piped to flowerbeds, trees, and lawn or even piped to the storm sewer drains or curbs along the street.

A sump pump running only once every hour can contribute 840 gallons per day to I & I.

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SEWER PROBLEMS

If you have a sewer problem, call us first.

If you have a problem with your sewer backing up, we urge citizens to call 321-9100 before calling a plumber. Callback personnel are available after hours. We will check the City sewer first (at no expense to the customer) to determine whether it is the City’s main that is plugged or the homeowner's service line.

Sewer lines are gravity flow and therefore debris can cause restrictions. Our sewer maintenance team operates a sewer flusher truck year-round and flushes nearly 200,000 feet of sewer mains each year.

The City of El Dorado has nearly 50 miles of sanitary sewer lines and 11 lift stations. Lift stations are necessary to move wastewater from lower elevation sites in town, to higher elevations, so that the waste can flow by gravity to the Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Many sewer problems are due to the customer’s service line being plugged. If this is the case, our personnel will inform you that the homeowner or a plumber must take care of the problem.

A small amount of Copper Sulfate will kill tree roots growing into your service line without killing the tree. Tree roots are the most common cause of blockages to the homeowners service line.

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Bulk Water Dispenser

A top filling bulk water dispenser is available at the Water Treatment Plant to fill water tanks. The bulk water dispenser dispenses about 200 gallons for $0.25.

It is unlawful to fill from any hydrant other than the one located at the Water Treatment Plant. This hydrant must be tended by authorized personnel and is protected from back-flows with a backflow preventer.

If a customer needs to fill a tank from the fire hydrant, there is a $10.00 minimum charge per load. Unless bulk dispenser is inoperable, in which case the customer will be billed using the above rates.

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EL DORADO LAKE

Where does your water come from?

The City of El Dorado diverts water from El Dorado Reservoir. El Dorado Reservoir is an 8400-acre lake with a storage capacity of 50 billion gallons. This amount of storage should allow the City to draw 22 million gallons per day in what is classified as a 50-year drought.

El Dorado Lake is a relatively young lake, completed in 1981, it’s a mere 22 years old. The drainage basin above El Dorado is mainly grasslands and rainwater runoff comprises most of the water entering the lake. Because of these factors, the water is relatively soft (low mineral content) and the clarity is also very good. Annual turbidity averages fluctuate with rainfall, but usually are below 20 NTU’s and sometimes as low as 5 NTU’s. Some Kansas cities deal with turbidities in river water exceeding 1000 NTU’s.

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WATER PRESSURE

Water pressure in El Dorado is generally between 30 – 60 psi, depending the elevation where you live and the size of the water distribution lines in your area. Water pressure can also be affected by restrictions in plumbing, undersized meter, or plugged faucet strainers. (see tab on "Water Meter Sizing" for more info)

Water pressure leaving the Water Treatment Plant is 90 – 95 psi when the pumps are running. However, the pumps do not run continuously, they cycle on and off to fill the water towers as needed. The elevated storage (water towers) provides pressure when the pumps are not running.

If you feel you do not have adequate water pressure contact us to have your pressure tested. We can determine whether pressure is within an acceptable range and if it is not, we can determine whether the pressure loss is in the City main or the homeowners system.

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Water Quality

The Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is your best source of water quality information. This brochure is loaded with information on the City of El Dorado’s water. The brochure comes out May of every year with all analysis results from the previous year. Click on Water Quality below to view the most recent CCR.

 

Protecting Our Drinking Water

The superior quality of El Dorado Water Treatment Facility’s drinking water is the result of a combination of the proper operation of a multistage treatment facility and a laboratory that performs 2,500 monthly tests on samples taken during the treatment process and throughout the 100 miles of distribution system piping.

 

Our Personnel

El Dorado currently has four personnel that hold a Class IV Water Operator’s license, the State’s highest certification level. Water quality is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

 

Why does El Dorado have great tasting water?

To have great tasting water it certainly helps to have great source water. El Dorado Reservoir is fairly young reservoir, only 21 years old. The drainage basin above El Dorado is mainly grasslands and rainwater runoff comprises most of the water entering the Lake. Because of these factors, the water is relatively soft (low mineral content) and the clarity is also very good.

Treatment is also very good at the El Dorado Water Treatment Facility. Chemical dosages are scrutinized daily and sophisticated instrumentation keeps a close watch on water quality. Another aide in achieving great tasting water is the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC). PAC absorbs many of the musty odors associated with surface water, and is then filtered out in the dual media filters.

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WATER FACTS

We all know that water is important but did you know that...

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

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WHERE IS THE WATER?

The majority of cities in Kansas get their water from surface supplies just as El Dorado does, but did you ever think about how rare fresh water on the surface of the earth is? The graphs below show just how little fresh water there is on the surface of the earth.

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WATER TASTE & ODOR

Annual Disinfection of the Distribution System

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment recommends all cities switch from chloramines to free chlorine for at least one week a year to thoroughly disinfect the distribution system. The type of chlorine normally in the water, chloramines, has no chlorine taste or odor, which most people prefer, but it is not as powerful a disinfectant as free chlorine. Most people notice the change in the taste of the water for about a week. After the week of free chlorine, we follow with our annual hydrant-flushing program. The flushing, scours and cleans water distribution system lines; allows us to check proper operation of fire hydrants; and gets rid of the free chlorine in the water, responsible for the taste and odor problems.

Algae Taste and Odor Problems

Algae taste and odor problems are usually not a problem in El Dorado for two reasons. First, we have very clean, good quality source water in El Dorado Lake with low nutrient levels. Excessive nutrients lead to algae blooms. Second, for any algae blooms that have occurred, we have a powdered activated carbon treatment system that absorbs the taste and odors associated with algae. This system operates continuously to give us the best tasting water possible.

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PERSONNEL