INDEPENDENTNews Beaver Lake water gets a bath, then goes for a ride Nicky Boyette At least 30,000 residents of Carroll and Boone Counties get their water through the 48-mile pipeline system starting at the Freeman-Raney Water Treatment Facility perched above Beaver Lake on Highway 187. The facility, which is operated by the Carroll-Boone Water District, is at the extreme western edge of the coverage area, and John Summers, plant manager, said they can send 18 million gallons of water every day through the system. Summers said it all starts with a 1200-ft. intake pipe pulling water out of Beaver Lake up the hill into a flow division box that sends raw water into one of two large circular cisterns called upflow clarifiers. A casual observer would not notice much of the purification going on, such as water
naturally feeding through gravity filters, sediment settling and being ushered out of the tanks, disinfectant being added and the pH moderated. Eventually filtered water makes it way into the clear well where baffles slow down the flow so the chlorine that is added can mix well, and then into a high service sump where a lesser amount of ammonia is added. Summers said the chlorine and ammonia is mixed three parts to one to create chloramine, a more effective disinfectant than just chlorine. He said in the past, when just chlorine was added, it would almost dissipate by the time the water got to Harrison, but chloramine, though a weaker disinfectant, lasts indefinitely. After the water gets its last treatment, “away it goes to the east,” Summers said. “When it leaves the front
of this building, it is potable.” A 30-inch ductile iron pipe supplies water for the Grassy Knob area first and then on to Eureka Springs, which has four water tanks spread around town. Summers said the highest point for the transmission line is 100 yards north of Brighton Ridge on Highway 23 South. “After that it is downhill to Berryville.” The line crosses the Kings River underground, and then Berryville pulls water through a smaller conduit for its two water tanks. Past Hwy. 21, the line is concrete, which Summers can be a good thing as long as the ground is not rocky. “A concrete line can last 150 years with no problems, but it’s a booger to fix.” CBWD learned the hard way about fixing concrete pipes when pressure in the pipe caused vibrations which over time led to settling of the rocky ground around the pipe which caused rocks to damage protective sheathing. The repair required careful excavation around the damaged area, peeling away old concrete and wire grid sheathing, diapering the pipe with a large steel coupling that was bolted around the breach and then filled with concrete through a hole at the top. Summers said the repairs were expensive and they have had eight or nine breaches in the concrete section of the line. “Needless to say we won’t install any more concrete lines,” he noted. The line reverts back to ductile iron pipe before Green Forest where CBWD installed a booster station to keep the water steadily flowing through the pipes for when those in Harrison start watering their lawns. On Pine Mountain, between Green Forest and Alpena, the district has two five million-gallon tanks which service a large rural area including Denver, Carrollton and Batavia. And then it is on to Harrison, the final destination. Harrison has a four million gallon tank, and they send water to surrounding areas. Summers said Harrison is the biggest user of CBWD water, and they have used as CBWD continued on page 24
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ES Independent | March 7, 2013 | www.esINDEPENDENT.com
A little help from our friends:
(Please email your ongoing community service announcements to newsdesk@ eurekaspringsindependent.com) • Food pantry, furniture bank and used book store – Wildflower Chapel Food Pantry is open from 10:30 – Noon on Fridays. The Thrift Store and Used Furniture Bank is open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Call (479) 363-6408 for more information. For service times and other chapel information, phone 253-5108. • Coffee Break Al-Anon Family Group Women meets Tuesdays at 9:45 a.m. at Faith Christian Family Church, Hwy. 23S. For more info, phone (479) 3639495. • St. James’ Episcopal Church offers free Sunday community suppers until the end of March from 5 – 6:30 p.m. at the church, 28 Prospect Ave. (479) 2538610. • “Beginning To Heal Together,” a bereavement support group for parents/grandparents who have lost a child, is held on the first Saturday of every month at the St. Elizabeth Parish Center, Passion Play Road , 12:15 – 1:45 p.m. Please join us. For info contact Linda Maiella (479) 2531229. Meetings at Coffee Pot Club behind Land O’ Nod, U.S. 62 and Hwy. 23S • Alateen group – Sundays from 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. For more information, email alateen1st@gmx.com or phone (479) 981-9977. • Overeaters Anonymous – Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call Barbara at (479) 244-0070. • Narcotics Anonymous – Fridays at 5:50 p.m. Phone (417) 271-1084 or (479) 244-6863 for more info. • Al-Anon Family Group (AFG) – Sundays at 11:30 a.m., Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 p.m. • Eureka Springs Coffee Pot AA Group Monday – Saturday 12:30 p.m., Sunday at 10 a.m. Sunday – Thursday, and Saturday, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Friday at 8 p.m. (479) 2537956 or www.nwarkaa.org (click Eureka Springs AA)