Water Department

This page was last edited on 05/14/2007

Water Department Operation & Mission Statement

The main goal of the City of St. Marys Water Department is to provide safe and reliable drinking water services to the citizens and businesses of St. Marys at competitive rates. Water supply, treatment, and delivery to the City of St. Marys and surrounding area is a vital function of the City of St. Marys. St. Marys citizens first addressed drinking water quality in the 1890s, when the first water supply facility was built. Today, our water treatment plant delivers the safest water possible to over 10,000 people.

Well water pumped into the Water Treatment Plant goes through a complex, multistage treatment process that takes about twelve hours, producing a consistent supply of high quality drinking water. Laboratory test are performed routinely each day to control and ensure that each process is operating at peak levels. Two water towers with a combined capacity of 1,250,000 gallons store treated water for the system, controlling water pressure as well as providing fire protection. The water distribution system consists of approximately 72 miles of lines, 1,571 valves, and 530 fire hydrants. The system delivers drinking water to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the City of St. Marys and other areas bordering Grand Lake St. Marys.

The City of St. Marys has established long range plans and goals that guide the improvements necessary to maintain drinking water quality and improve the reliability of services provided to consumers. These plans and goals are reviewed each year and adjusted as needed. Over the years, these plans have resulted in the regular replacement of essential equipment, the drilling of a new well to ensure a continued supply of water, construction of a second water tower, installation of major water line loops and interconnections that improve the flow of drinking water throughout the City, extending water services to new areas, and purchasing property for the time when a new treatment facility is needed.

History of the City of St. Marys Water Department

DATE	IMPROVEMENT	FEATURES
1890’s	Original Water Plant & Distribution System	Built as part of the City’s power generating facility. Several wells could pump up to 300,000 gallons of untreated well water directly into the system each day.
1924	Scott Street Well & Fire Pump	500,000 gallon per day well capacity.
1939	Main St. Water Tower	500,000 gallon capacity (still in use).
1942	Chlorination Equipment Installed at Scott Street Well	A serious epidemic of dysentery was traced to contamination of the Scott Street well. Equipment installed per Ohio Dept. of Health.
1942	Villa Nova Water System	City assumed operation & maintenance of water system.
1943	Developed Barrington Well Field	Drilled one well (Well #3 has since been abandoned).
1945	Drilled Second Well In Barrington Field (Allowed Scott Street well to be used as a backup)	Currently Well#4. (Scott Street well has since been abandoned)
1947	New Water Plant at Site of Present Facility (Attempted to build as early as 1942, but, due to World War II, could not begin until 1946)	1,200,000 gallon per day treatment capacity, with softening and filtering facilities.
1967	Developed Carl Jackson Well Field	Drilled one well (currently #1).
1968	Drilled Second Well in Jackson Well Field	Currently Well #2.
1970	Completed an Addition to Treatment Plant	Increased treatment capacity to 2,400,000 gallons per day.
1988	Lime Sludge Storage	Two 6.5 acre lagoons.
1988	Extended Water South of Grand Lake St. Marys	Serves Otterbein & Southmoor Shores areas.
1993	Second Water Tower	750,000 gallon capacity.
1993	Laboratory Expansion & Complete Remodeling	Ohio EPA approved. All work done in-house.
1994	Original Water Tower	Completely rehabilitated.
1995	Treatment Plant Renovation	Replaced major and essential equipment. Installed standby emergency power generator.
1998	Drilled Third Well in Barrington Well Field	Well #5
1998	Extended Water North of Grand Lake St. Marys	Serves Nazarene Center & Sandy Beach
2002	Extended Water South of Grand Lake St. Marys	Serves Koehn & Schroeder Rds. & Klosterman Kove Devlpm.
2006	Extended Water into the Harmon's Landing area	Included 30 new service taps

Water Department Operation & Mission Statement

Send mail to dsprague@cityofstmarys.net with questions or comments about this web site.