"At its meeting on June 8th, the WaterOne Board approved a wholesale water supply agreement with Kansas Rural Water District 7 (RWD 7). The agreement will supply the neighboring water district with a minimum of 68.5 million gallons of water per year.
RWD 7 serves 3,200 customers, and the additional supply will supplement its current water sources in growing areas of Johnson County and Miami County. The 20-year agreement allows for additional capacity as demand increases within RWD 7 with the option to extend the agreement for an additional 10 years.
This is WaterOne’s first wholesale water supply agreement in over 20 years. The water volume represented by the wholesale agreement will be readily supported by WaterOne’s production and system capacity - in 2020, WaterOne treated a total of 23 billion gallons of water from the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, and WaterOne customers consume between 50 to 130 million gallons per day. WaterOne maintains a 40-year Master Plan, which accounts for supply and treatment capacity for full anticipated build-out of its current service area as well as capacity for additional service opportunities like supplying RWD 7.
“We’re excited to begin supplying water to RWD 7 and support the continued growth of communities in our region,” said WaterOne’s Director of Legal & Auditing Eric Arner. “This unique opportunity is the result of a true team effort between WaterOne, RWD 7 professional staff, and elected leaders. This agreement would not have been possible without their talent and dedication.”
Service to RWD 7 is expected to begin in late 2021 or early 2022.
WaterOne is an independent, non-profit water utility serving 17 cities in a 272-square mile service area. WaterOne has received frequent recognition for its long-term leadership, sound financial management, and exceptional water service and quality. In 2021, WaterOne was judged “America’s Best Tasting Drinking Water” in the Great American Water Taste Test. Learn more about WaterOne’s water, people, and awards at waterone.org.
