Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant

Water Treatment Plant:

Duane Baker, Superintendent, Class IVA Operator

4023 Shakertown Road (USHWY 33), Harrodsburg, KY 40330
Phone: (859) 748-5198

Wastewater Treatment Plant:

Jim Reed, Superintendent

1279 Cornishville Road, Harrodsburg, KY 40330
Phone: (859) 734-2113

Lead and Drinking Water

Facts About Lead and Drinking Water

We are pleased to provide our customers with this important information about lead in drinking water.

Our Approach to Corrosion Control

We take steps to reduce the potential for lead to leach from your pipes into the water. This is accomplished by pH adjustment and monitoring the corrosivity of the water and its potential to leach from your pipes. Currently we do not add corrosion inhibitors to the water leaving our treatment facilities. Some source waters are non-aggressive by nature, meaning there is no need to add corrosion control treatment.

Results from Lead Sampling

The results from samples collected in your water system are included in your annual water quality report (also known as the Consumer Confidence Report), which can be found on our website. Customers are notified via their water bill and will be provided a link to the page or where a hard copy can be obtained.

Because service lines, faucet fixtures, household pipes, and/or solder can contribute significantly to the lead and copper levels in tap water, we ask our customers to collect samples in their homes. These samples are collected on a routine basis (by monitoring once every three years) at homes that are considered vulnerable based on when they were constructed and the materials used. We do this monitoring according to the requirements of the Lead and Copper Rule and use the results to confirm that our corrosion control strategy is operating as intended.

Assessing Your Exposure to Lead

Homes built before 1930 are more likely to have lead plumbing systems. Lead pipes are a dull grey color and scratch easily revealing a shiny surface. Lead solder used to join copper pipes is a silver or grey color. If your house was built before January 1986, you are more likely to have lead-soldered joints.

The best way to know what kind of plumbing and service lines you have in your home is to hire a licensed plumber. Every home is different and it is important that you do not rely on your neighbors for information, as their home could be different.

Lead levels in drinking water are more likely to be higher if:

your home or water system has lead pipes or has a lead service line
your home has copper pipes with lead solder
your home was built before 1986

AND
you have soft or acidic water
water sits in the pipes for long periods of time or has low usage

Minimizing Your Exposure to Lead

You cannot see, smell or taste lead, and boiling water will not remove lead. Although our water is treated to minimize the risk of lead, you can reduce your household’s exposure to lead in drinking water by following these simple steps:

Flush your tap before drinking or cooking with water, if the water in the faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer the water lies dormant in your home’s plumbing, the more potential for it to contain lead. Flush your tap with cold water for 30 seconds to two minutes before using. To conserve water, catch the running water and use it to water your plants.
Try not to cook with or drink water from the hot water faucet. Hot water has the potential to contain more lead than cold water. When you need hot water, heat cold water on the stove or in the microwave.
Remove loose lead solder and debris from plumbing. In newly-constructed homes or homes in which the plumbing was recently replaced, remove the strainers from each faucet and run the water for 3 to 5 minutes. When replacing or working on pipes, be sure to use materials that are lead-free. Use of lead-based solders has been banned.
Look for the “Lead Free” Label. When replacing or installing fixtures, look for the “lead free” label. Under the 2011 Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, fixtures must have 0.25% lead or less to be considered “lead free.”
Routinely clean faucet screens. Sediment and metals can collect in the faucet screen located at the tip of your faucets. Replace screens that are in poor condition. New screens are available at local hardware stores.

To clear the faucet screen of debris:

1. Unscrew the screen.

2. Separate the individual parts.

3. Remove any sediment (mineral or rust build up) on the screen and other parts. If necessary, soak the parts in white vinegar for a few minutes and scrub with a brush.

4. Reassemble the screen parts and reattach to faucet.

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) offers guidance on cleaning aerators. https://www.awwa.org/searchresults.aspx?q=cleaning%20aerators

Home Treatment for Lead

The need for a home treatment device or filter is a customer-specific decision. As described above, we take steps to reduce the potential for lead to leach from your pipes into the water. Please note that certain home treatment devices, such as water softeners for example, might increase lead levels in your water. Always consult the device manufacturer for information on potential impacts to your drinking water or household plumbing.

Before purchasing a home water treatment device, consider local water quality, cost and maintenance, product performance and certifications to make sure the unit will meet your needs. Home treatment devices require regular service. When homeowners do not maintain the unit as recommended by the manufacturer, it reduces the effectiveness and possibly results in lower quality water.

For more information regarding home treatment, customers may choose to visit the NSF website at http://www.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/.

Getting Your Water Tested for Lead

Lead and/or copper levels in some homes and businesses might be detected due to customer use of lead pipes, lead solder and molded metal faucets in household plumbing. The City of Harrodsburg is will provide testing for lead for individual customers who request it. For customers who would like to be tested for lead, the City of Harrodsburg will collect samples and deliver at the customers cost to a certified laboratory. The cost for Lead testing is $20 each, and for Copper is $20.00 each.

Additional Information

-- USEPA Lead Information
Kentucky Division of Water

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act Hotline: 1-800-426-4791

The Value of Tap Water

Tap water costs less than a fraction of penny per gallon and using it can save you money and help protect the environment at the same time. There are numerous reasons to choose tap water instead of bottled water. Here are a few of them:

Tap water is inexpensive. Tap water is typically hands down one of the cheapest utilities, and is the only one required for life on earth.
- National Averages per month for household (Source: move.org)
- Water = $40
- Natural Gas = $82
- Electricity = $183
- Trash/Sewer = $12 - $20
- Phone = $60 +
- Internet + Cable = $147

Tap water is regulated for safety. Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Kentucky Division of Water, and must meet stringent quality standards. Water treatment plants that provide drinking water must test for these requirements multiple times per day, and every water provider in the country is required to provide consumers with detailed water quality reports to assure its compliance with EPA standards. Customers are required to be notified within a timely manner of any changes to water quality that would affect public health.

Water is the best choice for hydration. It is recommended that you consume at least eight glasses of water each day, depending on individual needs and conditions, such as activity. Even in winter months it is important to maintain hydration.

Most plastic disposable bottles are never recycled. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 85% of plastic water bottles end up in the trash even though they are made of recyclable materials. Americans throw away an average of 38 billion water bottles a year, which won't biodegrade for 1,000 years. Plastic is also one of the top sources of trash impairing watersheds and waterways because of its ability to float.

The Value of Water. Use of refillable stainless and plastic bottles, stainless steel or plastic, will be a valuable "lesson" for kids and set them on a path towards responsible environmental practices. You'll be putting more than a reusable bottle in their backpack - you'll be inspiring the next generation of environmentally conscious consumers.

The taste of tap water can depend on a variety of things and varies from the source to the consumer. Tastes may depend on the type of pipes in the distribution system, the type of plumbing in homes and the minerals present in water that give it a distinctly different taste than bottled water. Often a bitter metallic taste may be from corrosion of copper plumbing or zinc from galvanized plumbing or fixtures inside the home. A chlorine taste is due to the disinfection of water at the treatment facility, and is safe to drink at low levels.

Watershed Protection

We all live in a watershed. Watersheds are areas of land where runoff from rain and snow drains into a lake, stream, river or wetland. Water constantly travels over the land’s surfaces that include farmland, lawns and city streets, on its course to a waterway. When it rains, water runs over the surface picking up any pollutants that are on the way. Small amounts of motor oil, pet waste, pesticides or litter are multiplied along the journey to the nearest waterway.

Watersheds are full of life. They provide habitat for fish, birds and wildlife and provide excellent recreational opportunities. They are also a source of drinking water for multiple communities such as the Kentucky River and Lake Herrington bodies of water. No matter where you live, work or play, you are always in a watershed.

What we all do to the land makes a difference in the quality of water in our rivers and streams. Your property values are generally higher near healthy rather than impaired waterways. Because of this, and because our lives brings us into daily contact with local water resources and watersheds, we should spend a lot of our time and efforts protecting our water resources.

Ten Simple Steps to Protect Your Watershed

The right decisions can help protect these important water resources. Here are a few ways you can help preserve the source of our drinking water and our wildlife habitat.

Plan the landscaping around your home or business with more permeable surfaces that allow water to soak into the ground. Try to limit concrete and asphalt, as they contribute to increased levels of storm water runoff. Help prevent soil erosion by preserving existing trees and planting new trees and shrubs. Cover exposed soil with grass seed and straw and implement no-till agriculture practices when possible over conventional tillage.
Keep areas near streams and rivers vegetated to provide a buffer for the waterway from pollutants, excess nutrients and debris. Also try to mitigate vehicular and livestock access into waterways or other disturbances that accelerate soil erosion.
Use native plants that require minimal fertilizer, herbicides and watering. Do not over-apply chemicals and avoid application immediately before it rains.
Find an opportunity for a rain garden. Rain gardens use native plants and grasses to capture and absorb rainwater from rooftops and roads. These planned gardens help simplify lawn maintenance, control erosion and reduce runoff into streams and storm water systems.
Keep litter, pet waste and yard waste out of streets and storm drains. Pet waste contains bacteria that can find its way into waterways through runoff.
Select non-toxic or less toxic alternatives to typical household products, such as cleaning agents. Use hazardous waste collection sites and services for disposal of household wastes such as chemicals, paints, motor oil and batteries. Be sure to check the list of approved items accepted by the collection agency.
Use pharmaceutical disposal programs offered by local police or health departments or other agencies that can help you dispose of unneeded medicines safely.
Recycle! Visit the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources recycling resources site.
Get involved in community activities to clean up waterways and monitor water quality.
At work, consider membership in EPA’s WasteWise – a free, voluntary program through which organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes, benefiting their bottom line and the environment.