Northeast Missouri District

Project Overview

This water district purchases its water wholesale from an adjacent city and distributes it on a retail basis to the residents of eight nearby communities, as well as surrounding rural areas.

In addition to a complete range of operation and maintenance services, Alliance provides the District with a variety of administrative services, including meter reading, computerized billing, collection, financial reporting and day-to-day management of the utility.

Challenges
  • A $500,000 transmission main had never been put into service for various reasons
  • Systems for monitoring tower levels and pressure needed upgraded and improved
  • Excessive loss of the purchased supply was a significant drain on the District budget
  • Administrative functions including billing and collection needed improvement, and reliable financial reporting was lacking
  • The District’s staff needed to become certified for operation of the distribution system
  • Booster station and wastewater treatment plants had fallen into ill repair and testing was not being performed according to regulations
Achievements
  • Within weeks of signing the contract with Alliance, the East to West transmission main was being fully utilized, significantly helping pressures and flows to a sizable portion of the rural district
  • A SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system was put in place within the first week of Alliance’s operations agreement to monitor and control various critical water systems
  • An aggressive meter change out and leak detection program has been implemented to reduce unaccounted for water; this effort has paid for itself in less than five years
  • Alliance has helped the District upgrade its filing and computer systems, improve delinquent collections and regain a professional handle on its business operations and financial status
  • Detailed operating and maintenance procedures have been implemented, including Alliance’s own ReCAP program for environmental testing and compliance
  • Alliance worked with the District to develop a major infrastructure improvement plan; Phase I of the plan was completed in 2008; this $3.24-million project replaced 55 miles of water distribution main, dramatically decreasing the District’s water loss rate
  • During Alliance’s tenure, District operations have approved a $1.7-million project that will replace another 20 miles of water distribution main and erect a 250,000-gallon water tower
  • In 2010, the District was a runner-up for Missouri Rural Water Association’s Water System of the Year award based on the District’s excellence in overall operations and water-loss control
  • In August 2004, Alliance assisted the District to gain overwhelming voter approval of $4,000,000 in new bonding capability
  • From June 2001 through February 2005, Alliance assumed the role of primary District negotiator to arrange the sale of a portion of the District’s territory to an adjacent city’s public works for $1,500,000. The sale of future customers via a territorial agreement ultimately required approval of USDA Rural Development and the Missouri Public Service Commission; a new, 20-year wholesale water purchase agreement was also negotiated
System Description
  • Water
    • 4 booster pump stations (East, West, New London Gravel, Centenary Road)
    • 4 elevated water storage towers (totaling 750,000 gallons)
    • 350 miles of distribution main
  • Wastewater
    • 4 wastewater treatment package plants
    • 4 subdivision collection systems
Services Performed
  • Water Distribution
  • Distribution System Maintenance
  • Wastewater Treatment
  • Collection System Maintenance
  • Meter Reading
  • Utility Billing
  • Management and Administration