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!