Water Department
Water bills are received by the 1st, due by the 10th. A 10% late penalty will be applied immediately on the 11th for past due and/or delinquent accounts. Water disconnects for non-payment will be on the 21st of each month @ 8:00 am, If the 21st falls on a weekend or holiday, disconnects will occur the next business day at 8:00 am.
Reconnection labor fees during business hours will be as follows: $25 for 1st reconnection, $50 2nd reconnection within 12 months of first reconnection, $100 for 3rd and any subsequent reconnections within 12 months of any previous reconnection.
A $100 after hours fee will be required IN ADDITION to the above fees and past due payment in order to reconnect utilities after 4:00 pm on weekdays, weekends or holidays.
Payment of water bills can be automatically withdrawn from checking accounts. If interested, please call City Hall.
The City charges $30.00 for insufficient funds checks.
To report water outage or broken water mains/service lines after hours/weekends please call 785-742-2155.
The source of Hiawatha’s water supply is ground water from five wells. Chlorination and fluoridation are the only treatment; total average water hardness is 240-250 mg/ l which is considered very hard, however in comparison, a total hardness 440 mg/in Kansas is considered excessive. Nitrate, often a concern with ground water supply has an average of 10-11 mg/l and the EPA limit is 10 mg/l.
In October 2018, the City of Hiawatha began providing water to its customers from the newly constructed nitrate-removal water treatment plant.
Hiawatha’s water system maintains a storage capacity of just over 2,000,000 gallons. Water pressure will average about 52 PSI with the high side near 80 and the low of 40.
The average use per day based upon recent records, the average daily water use is approximately 122 gallons per capita per day or about 538,800 per day.
Water meters are read monthly, consumption is registered in cubic feet; one cubic foot equals 7.48 gallons.
Water Department employees are Water Superintendent Brad Scott, Russell Joslin, Jr., Ryan Smith, Chad Goben and Juan Weisel. Among this group there is almost 25 + years of experience in the water works field, and three of the employees are certified as a Water Works Operator in the State of Kansas.
For water service applications or questions on billing, you may call or stop by the City Hall Office from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Monday-Friday at 701 Oregon or call (785) 742-7417 or e-mail utilities@cityofhiawatha.org.
Consumer education on water conservation awareness tips / water use and leak detection kits and drinking water safety handouts are also available at the City Hall Office. For additional water quality information, fire hydrant flow test results or other water utility line information we would be happy to assist you, stop in the office, e-mail bscott@cityofhiawatha.org or call the Water Department at (785) 742-7850.