About Us
Who We Are
The Elmira Water Board maintains more than 225 miles of water mains delivering over 7 million gallons of water every day to Elmira, Elmira Heights, and portions of the towns of Elmira, Horseheads and Southport. More than 2 billion gallons of water a year are pumped through various iron, copper, cement, and 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 and ground water. The surface water sources are the Chemung River and the Hoffman Creek Reservoir. The ground water sources are the Foster Island Wells and the Hudson Street Wells.
The treatment process starts with a blending of the two sources of water supply during transmission to the coagulation basin. Chemicals are then added to the water in order to remove particles and adjust the pH. Over a six hour detention time, the processes of coagulation and sedimentation occurs and chlorine is added.
After settling, the decant water flows into the treatment plant for filtration. The water circulates through 12 inches of filter sand and 18 inches of anthracite coal for final polishing. The filtered water is then post chlorinated and fluoride is added to reduce tooth decay.