About Us
Who We Are
The Elmira Water Board maintains more than 225 miles of water mains; delivering over 5 million gallons of water every day to Elmira, Elmira Heights, and portions of the towns of Elmira, Horseheads and Southport. Approximately 2 billion gallons of water a year are pumped through various iron, copper, cement & plastic pipes to more than 54,000 people. The Elmira Water Board, with treatment and distribution facilities throughout Chemung County, also services 1,253 fire hydrants.
Treatment Process
The Elmira Water Board has two sources of water supply: surface water & ground water. Surface water sources are the Chemung River & the Hoffman Creek Reservoir. Ground water sources are the Foster Island Wells & the Hudson Street Wells.
The treatment process starts by blending the two sources of water supply during transmission to the coagulation basin. Chemicals are then added to the water in order to remove particles & adjust the pH. Over a six hour detention time, the processes of coagulation & sedimentation occurs & chlorine is added.
After settling, the decant water flows into the treatment plant for filtration. The water circulates through 12 inches of filter sand & 18 inches of anthracite coal for final polishing. The filtered water is then post chlorinated & fluoride is added to reduce tooth decay.