Department taps aquifer for more than 400,000
It’s been said that we never know the worth of water until the well is dry. While that adage is usually attributed to Thomas Fuller in the 17th century, the wisdom it conveys is ageless.
And while a short sentiment, it also speaks volumes about the importance of the Department of Water for the city of Dayton. But it’s not just about delivering this valuable life giving and sustaining resource to hundreds of thousands of people.
“We provide education, outreach and awareness programs to our customers, community and the Dayton region on source water protection, water quality and responsible use of water,” says Michael Powell, director of the Department of Water for the city of Dayton. “We attend community events, develop marketing initiatives and programming for schools and community centers throughout the city of Dayton.
“Since 1997, we have hosted the Dayton Children’s Water Festival, a one-day science workshop, to educate Dayton area fourth graders on the importance of protecting water resources. We have educated over 45,000 students. In 2015, Dayton began hosting the Dayton Water Career Conference. This conference allows area high school students to learn about various careers in the water industry.”
Serving approximately 400,000 people in Montgomery County and parts of Greene County with an approximate average daily plant flow of 60 to 65 million gallon per day (MGD) between its two water treatment plants, the water distribution system has about 800 miles of water mains and 16 storage facilities providing 88 million gallons of storage capacity.
While operating its two 96 MGD treatment plants, the Ottawa Water Treatment Plant and the Miami Water Treatment Plant, the city of Dayton also has a world-renowned Source Water Protection Program (SWPP) that was implemented in August of 1988. The SWPP is a multijurisdictional program designed to protect the city of Dayton’s source water. A vital component of the program is the extensive early warning system consisting of over 500 monitoring and investigation wells.
The city of Dayton is one of two water systems in the United States to have a Lime Reclamation Facility (LRF). The LRF has been in continuous operation since 1957 and produced over 35,000 tons of lime in 2021.
The city of Dayton’s Mad River and Miami well fields have a total of 104 production wells within the Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer. Since the mid-1920s, the city of Dayton has practiced artificial recharge at both well fields.
The city diverts the Mad and Miami rivers into a series of recharge channels, which are packed with gravel to allow for the infiltration of river water into the aquifer. The city estimates it recharges 20-25 MGD at the Mad River Well Field and 15-20 MGD at the Miami Well Field. The practice of artificial recharge enables the city to maintain the water table.
In 2013, the city implemented an Asset Management Program to replace 1% of piping annually in the water distribution and sanitary collection systems. Since 2013, the city has invested over $250 million in large projects to improve these systems.
“Securing sufficient funding for improvement and repairs is a continuous challenge, while keeping our water rates affordable,” says Powell, a 12-year veteran of the department. Securing funds remains the top priority, especially as the department’s infrastructure ages.
“Although we have extensive maintenance and replacement programs, substantial portions of our water system were installed around the same time and could require updates or replacements during the same time frame,” says Powell. “Therefore, prioritizing replacement projects is critical.”
