Reo Water, Inc. is a non-profit corporation formed in 1964 to provide potable water service to rural and small urban areas in southern Spencer County. The service territory extends east-west from the west side of the City of Rockport to just west of the Community of Hatfield and north-south from the Ohio River to just north of the Town of Richland. The Corporation’s raw water supply is provided by five groundwater wells located south of SR 66, approximately 0.8 miles west of the SR 161 intersection. A water treatment plant, consisting of two aeration/filtration units, chemical feed and high service pumping facilities is located at the same site. Water is pumped from the water treatment plant into three separate water storage tanks located within the service territory. The water distribution system includes approximately 116 miles of one-inch thru 12-inch water mains.
The system is aging and in need of rehabilitation. At the water treatment plant, one of the aeration/filtration units is over 50 years old and must be replaced. The second aeration/filtration unit needs rehabilitation inclusive of media replacement, cleaning and painting. Multiple high service pumps, chemical feed systems and electrical components need repair/replacement. The water treatment plant building could definitely use new windows/doors/gutters/downspouts and cleaning and painting. The system’s oldest water storage tank, constructed in 1965, is at the end of its useful life, and needs to be replaced with a bigger capacity tank to adequately serve current system demands. A good portion of the existing distribution system is in excess of 50 years old. In addition, over 22 miles of distribution main are either 1” or 2” in size. Many of these mains need to be replaced and upsized.
In order to properly address the needs of the system, REO Water, Inc. is undertaking a Water System Improvement Project. The project consists of rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plant, replacement/upsizing of the system’s oldest water storage tank and replacement/upsizing/reinforcement of approximately 37 miles of distribution system main.
The Corporation has received a low interest (1.125%) loan in the amount of approximately $12.66 million dollars from the United States Department of Agricultural – Rural Development for financing the Water System Improvement Project. Design of these improvements is underway. Once the necessary permits and easements are obtained, the improvements will be publicly bid. Construction would start soon after.
Any questions should be directed to Reo Water Board of Directors Vice President, Steve Daming.
