Water District No. 3 receives state award
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Lyon County Rural District No. 3 received an award Monday night from the Kansas Department of Environment for excellence in its water system.
Seven public water supply systems received the first-ever Capacity Development Awards.
District No. 3 serves Olpe, Madison and rural areas of southern Lyon County.
The award program is the first of its kind in the country and is designed to encourage public water systems to go beyond mere compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act. The program is intended to encourage public water supply systems to go beyond the standards of the act.
“We’re very proud of this innovative effort to reward public water supply systems for going beyond what we ask of them,” said Ron Hammerschmidt, director of the KDHE Division of Environment. “This is a positive way to encourage compliance, while protecting the environment and the public health.”
Up to five Capacity Development Awards will be given each year for systems serving a population of 500 or less. Up to five additional awards will be given for systems serving populations between 501 and 3,330. No more than one award will be granted every year for systems serving between 3,001 and 10,000 people and for systems serving more 10,001 or more people.
The awards are made possible using EPA funds that are allocated to states.