Where Does My Water Come From?

Customers of the Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington customers are fortunate because they enjoy an abundant supply of surface water from the Allegheny River. The Harold Burns Smith Water Treatment Plant draws water from the Allegheny River, which carries more than one billion gallons of water per day. The H. Burns Smith Water Treatment Plant was constructed around 1912 with major renovations occurring in 1957 and 1994 to draw from this water supply. This river is constantly being replenished from various reservoirs to our north, including the following: Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir, Tionesta Lake, East Branch Clarion River Lake, Mahoning Creek Lake, Crooked Creek Lake, Conemaugh River Lake, Loyalhanna Lake, along with underground sources and numerous small creeks and springs. Altogether, our treatment facility provides roughly 1.8 billion gallons of clean drinking water every year.

A Source Water Assessment Report was completed in May of 2002 for our water supply. The greatest potential threats to the Municipal Authority's water supply are from the following: stormwater and CSO runoff from industrial and commercial areas, cropland and golf courses adjacent to the river carrying pesticide and herbicide contaminants, and possibly sanitary sewage; accidental release of known or unknown contaminants along the major transportation and pipeline corridors; cumulative impact of heavy metal discharge from the industrial and power plants and the potential for accidental releases of large quantities of a variety of substances from the power plant and its surrounding facilities; cumulative release of petroleum products from a number of marinas along the river and the potential for accidental spills. A copy of this report is available for review at our main office.

2006 REPORT TO CONSUMERS ON WATER QUALITY
Water Quality Report   •    Continuing Our Commitment
Community Participation   •    Information on the Internet
Where Does My Water Come From?   •    Source Water Assessment
Substances that might be in Drinking Water    •    Is it Safe to Drink from a Garden Hose?
How is My Water Treated and Purified?    •    Sampling Results
New Arsenic Regulations    •    Important Health Information