Gas, Water, and Waste Water
Gas Department
The Gas Distribution Division includes full time employees and shares personnel with Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection. There is an employee on-call to provide 24 hour-a-day emergency service for calls such as gas leak detection and carbon monoxide testing.
Iola has storage capacity, so is able to purchase cheaper gas in the summer and blend it with normally higher priced gas in the winter, during high demand months. This lowers the overall cost of gas for Iola's customers, and adds a competitive edge over other communities that rely completely on investor owned utilities.
Services
- Maintenance of border stations
- Maintenance of over 54 miles of distribution mains
- Maintenance of 3,000 customer meters
- Operation of meter shop to rebuild, test, and maintain gas meters and regulators
- Response to possible gas and carbon monoxide leaks
- Renewed or installation of customer service taps
Water Department
The Water and Wastewater Department consist of positions such as Water & Wastewater Superintendent, Maintenance Supervisor, and Operators. The department operates 24 hours a day with qualified Water Operators certified by the State Department of Health and Environment. The Water Distribution Division utilizes both full time employees as well as sharing employees with the Gas Division and the Waste waster Collection Division.
Services
- Treatment of raw water from the Neosho River into drinkable water.
- Treatment of waste water before it returns to the Neosho River.
- Monitoring local industries to ensure waste water will not upset conditions of the wastewater treatment lagoon.
- Maintenance of water towers and the water plant.
- On call service 24 hours a day to check customer complaints and repair emergency leaks.
- Iola's water distribution system maintains over 75 miles of water main.
- Fire protection including maintaining over 260 fire hydrants.
- Maintaining and enhancing the water system.
- Enforcing a cross-connection program.
- Repairing meters.
- Flushing Hydrants and mains.
Waste Water Department
Services
- Responding to customer requests.
- Inspection and maintenance of lift stations.
- Cleaning and repairing sewer lines.
- Annual manhole restoration.
- Installing and maintaining over 56 miles of sewer mains and over 800 manholes.
Equipment
The City has a closed circuit television camera and a communication van. The video camera is pulled on skids to remotely investigate underground problems, compile a video library of all sewer mains, and aid in the classification of problem areas so priorities can be set for repairs.