WATER SUPPLY INFORMATION

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Water Supply Information

How Is My Water Made Safe To Drink?
Jacksonville uses water from several sources.  A Ranney Collector well provides most of the water used by Jacksonville consumers.  Two gravel pack wells are used when maintenance is performed on the Collector well.  Water is pumped 26 miles to Jacksonville, into the Water Treatment Plant.


Water can also be drawn from Lake Mauvaisterre, and blended with the well water.  Lake Jacksonville water flows into Lake Mauvaisterre to ensure that enough water is available for treatment.

When water reaches the treatment plant it flows through screens which filter out leaves and fish. It then flows into a rapid mixer where chlorine, lime, alum and potassium permanganate are added.  These materials cling to tiny particles of mud, organic matter (bits of leaves and weeds), and other very small bacteria/viruses.  As the water moves into flocculation basins, mixing continues and makes the particles heavier.  When water reaches the chlorifiers, the materials have added enough weight to settle to the bottom of the basin, allowing clean water to spill over into the filters.  Fluoride is added as water moves into the sand filters.  Any remaining particle matter is removed as the water flows down through layers of fine sand particles, large sand particles, and gravel in the filters.  Once the water has moved through filters, additional chlorine is added to protect the quality of the water during its flow through the distribution system.

Water quality is continuously monitored at the water treatment plant.  Raw water is checked for hardness, alkalinity, pH, turbidity and bacterial contaminants.  Treated water is tested before it enters the distribution system.  Turbidity, fluoride, pH alkalinity, hardness, nitrates and disinfectant residuals are tested before water leaves the plant to travel to consumers.

water tower at massey view 2Water Tower at Massey View
Water from approximately 20 locations throughout the Jacksonville distribution system is also tested.  Chlorine residuals are measured to make sure that water in the distribution piping is protected against microbial growth or contamination.  Microbiological samples are collected each week, totaling approximately 264 samples each year, to monitor bacteriological quality.  Lead and copper samples are collected every three years to ensure that corrosion levels remain low in the distribution system. Other inorganic and organic chemicals are also monitored, at varying sampling times, to ensure that the water is safe to drink.

Protect Your Drinking Water
The Jacksonville Water Department works with the Inspection Department to keep water in the City water distribution system safe.  The City Council passed a cross-connection control ordinance to prevent the connection of any piping system, vessel or other device to the public water distribution system unless a backflow device is in place.


Backflow devices prevent the reverse flow of water from consumer piping, vats or containers back into drinking water.  Consumers should take care when connecting hoses to home plumbing.  When chemical feeders are attached to hoses, a hose bibb vacuum breaker, available at hardware stores, should be used to keep the chemicals from flowing back into home plumbing.  Never stick a running hose into a pool, bucket, pond or other container holding water to mix chemicals or flush the container when it has been used.

Be sure to purchase plumbing fixtures, faucets and materials that are approved by the State Plumbing Code.  When installing plumbing, be sure that it is properly installed so that contaminants cannot flow back into your own plumbing system, or into the public water supply distribution system.

Water Treatment Plant Brochure

Water Quality Reports
Water quality reports are mailed to our customers annually.

Fire Hydrant Flushing Information
The Water Department and Fire Department work together to flush fire hydrants every year.  The purpose is to ensure that the hydrants are in good working order.  Occasionally, residents may experience slight water discoloration and some loss of pressure when the fire hydrants are being flushed in their area.

          Lead Awareness Notification
 

TO PAY WATER/SEWER BILLS ONLINE PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE LINK: HTTPS://JACKSONVILLE.MERCHANTTRANSACT.COM

TO PAY BY PHONE: (217)408-0008
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Administration:
Business Office:
Located at:  200 W. Douglas

                                                Jacksonville, IL 62650                                 
                             (Office Hours 8:00am- 4:30pm)

Mailing Address: 200 W. Douglas
                            Jacksonville, IL 62650-2040

Phone: (217)479-4615 Text: (217)370-4122   Fax: (217)245-2822
For Weekend/Evening Emergencies: (217)479-4660
Superintendent of Administration
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Operations:
Water Plant  Phone:  (217)479-4660 Fax:  (217)479-4675  jaxwater@jacksonvilleil.gov

Sewer Plant  Phone:  (217)479-4648 Fax:  (217)243-1208  jaxwwtp@jacksonvilleil.gov

Superintendent of Operations - Rick Hearin rhearin@jacksonvilleil.gov
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