The Municipal Services & Operations Department’s Water Quality Division monitors and tests drinking water and treated wastewater for quality and compliance with state and federal regulations, which include procedures and schedules for monitoring and reporting under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA). Additionally, the Water Quality Division monitors Lawrence’s drinking water for non-mandated properties to further ensure the quality of the water delivered to customers.
The Water Quality Division is responsible for monitoring the drinking water under the SDWA and the monitoring of city discharges under the CWA to ensure they meet the criteria set by the Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The division manages the sanitary sewer use and industrial pretreatment program. Non-domestic users are surveyed and monitored to ensure that no unlawful discharges occur. Significant Industrial Users (SIU) are identified by set criteria from the Federal Pretreatment Regulations and are required to hold a discharge permit issued by the Department. The Water Quality Division inspects and ensures that the SIUs are following the sewer use and industrial pretreatment ordinance.