Providing an adequate and safe water supply for Alliance residents is a priority for the

City. Because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently lowered the

allowable level of arsenic in public water systems, the level of arsenic in Alliance’s water

is now considered too high.

Is my water safe to drink?

Yes. The City of Alliance has always had some measurable amounts of arsenic in its

water system. The levels have not risen recently. The City is evaluating its water system

now simply because the EPA, after research, lowered the allowable levels of arsenic in

public water systems. The EPA’s role is protecting public health by ensuring safe

drinking water and protecting groundwater. The City is required to comply with the new

level by January 2009.

What does this mean for the future?

The City needs to develop a water system that will provide a long-term solution to water

quality issues, and meet current and future regulations of both the EPA and Nebraska

Health and Human Services.

How much will this cost residents?

At this time, specific cost to residents is not known.

What has been done so far?

The City has hired Olsson Associates to complete a water system master plan and

recommend solutions.

How will the City decide which option is best?

The project will start with a conceptual review of all alternatives. The next phase of this

project will include preliminary design and further identification of possible alternatives.

Finally, the City will choose the option that provides the most appropriate treatment and

is the most cost-effective for Alliance and its residents. The initial investment necessary

in any alternative and the future operation and maintenance costs will be considered

when evaluating cost effectiveness.

What information is available?

At this time, the consultant team has prepared information about future water use

projections in Alliance and is in the process of gathering information on existing well and

water quality, and economical treatment alternatives. The information on future water

use projections is available here.

City of Alliance Water Supply Master Plan

Phase I  Conceptual Water Supply

Historical Population and Future Projections  pg. 2

Before looking at treatment options, it is important that the engineers working on

the project have a good understanding of historic population trends. Planning for

the future is important but you do not want to over-plan and design a treatment

option that is more than the City will need.

Historical Average Water Consumption pg. 3

This information shows how much water Alliance uses, which we can compare to

the amount used by other similar municipalities. An analysis is completed for

every month over a period of four years. The average annual amount of water

used per person per day is 245 gallons.

Preliminary Design Factor Demands  pg.4

The data found on the previous two charts is then combined to plan for any future

demands. For this study, projections are being made until the year 2030.

Population information is based on U.S. Census predictions.

Who can I contact for more information?

Suzanne Bassinger

Olsson Associates

(308) 635-2627