March 31, 2015 Dwight Garman Rural Water District No. 1, Republic

March 31, 2015
Dwight Garman
Rural Water District No. 1, Republic County
P.O. Box 151
Courtland, Kansas 66939-0151
RE:
Source Water Protection Plan
Dear Dwight:
Thank you for introducing yourself to me at the 2015 KRWA Conference & Exhibition. I have looked
through my records and find that there was some interest expressed about 10 years ago from someone in your
district to develop a source water (or wellhead) protection plan, but I don’t see that a plan was formally
adopted.
If you believe that the development of a protection plan would benefit the district and that your board
will adopt it, please complete the enclosed form and return it to me at the address on the lower right corner. If
you would like me to explain to your board how adoption of a plan will be a benefit before (or after) returning
the form, I will gladly come to your next board meeting. While the original intent of the national source water
protection program is to maintain existing water quality to avoid drilling new wells, building expensive
treatment plants and laying new pipelines from alternate sources, I believe that plans should address more
than water quality. The plan should also address anything that may reduce the district’s ability to serve the
customers. That could include administration of water rights or other issues, drought, power interruptions,
etc.
My program requires the adoption and implementation of three plans a year. I already have one water
system ready to start and I have been in contact with a few others. If you are interested, now is the time to let
me know, before too many others jump on-board.
RE:
Source Water Protection
Page No. 2
You can reach me by telephone at 785/640-4701, by e-mail at [email protected] or by writing to
6847 SE 29th Street, Tecumseh, Kansas 66542-9571. Please be reminded that the KRWA website at
http://www.krwa.net has news and information for water and wastewater utilities, including water rights,
source water protection and training opportunities. You can also follow me at @KRWA_WaterRghts.
Sincerely,
Douglas S. Helmke, P.G.
Water Rights / Source Water Specialist
Kansas Rural Water Association
DSH
Enclosure
c:
KRWA