Water Treatment
The water treatment process starts with a water source. Our primary water source is the Huckleberry Creek Reservoir which was built in 1996. The project had a total cost of $20,000,000.00 which was funded by a $.01 sales tax voted in by taxpayers. The reservoir has a capacity of 5.8 billion gallons when full. Huckleberry Creek is the main feed for the reservoir, but water can also be pumped into the lake from the Illinois Bayou if needed. Only the reservoir has been used since it went online in 1996 which is evident in the quality of drinking water produced for our citizens.
The treatment process starts as the water leaves the reservoir to help control any type of taste or odor compounds that are found in natural water ways. Water then enters an intake structures and begins its journey to the Water Treatment Plant. The process at the treatment plant consists of three major steps, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection in accordance to state and federal guidelines.
The treatment plant has the ability to treat 20 million gallons per day or MGD. The all-time max day was 13.58 MGD back in 2007. A daily average throughout the year is roughly 7 MGD.
When the water leaves the treatment plant it enters our distribution system that consists of 13 storage tanks with holding capacities that range from 100,000 gallons to 2,000,000 gallons throughout the city in water towers.
All water used in Russellville whether for domestic, commercial, industrial, or recreational is treated by a knowledgeable staff and meets all compliance requirements. Russellville’s water was chosen as the “Best Tasting Water in North America” at the 2016 Water Convention in Chicago Illinois!
Water Treatment Laboratory
The Water Treatment Laboratory is part of the analytical division of City Corporation. This division is responsible for performing chemical and biological testing and providing information and data for various plant operations as required by local, state and federal regulatory agencies.
The laboratory was certified by the Arkansas Department of Health beginning in 2016, and again in 2020, for in-house bacteriological sampling. At the time we were only the 6th facility in state to achieve this accomplishment. With this certification we have a faster turnaround on all Russellville distribution sampling requirements, such as Boil Orders, New Constructions, and Investigative samples. Another benefit is the capability of helping our sister communities in times of need.
The laboratory personnel gather and receive water samples from Huckleberry Creek Reservoir, treatment plant, and distribution system, then perform various analytical tests using approved methods as required by regulatory agencies. These include sampling for the following: pH, Chlorine, Turbidity, Alkalinity, Hardness, Fluoride, and Color. All data is collected, recorded, and sent to ADH at the end of every month.
Other responsibilities of the laboratory include monitoring the Lead and Copper program, updating the Sampling Site Plans for distribution sites in Russellville, and putting together the annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) each year. Above all, the Water Treatment Laboratory goal is to provide a safe, clean, dependable amount of quality drinking water to be used by the public.