Water Quality

Water Quality Reports

NKWD’s drinking water meets all of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) health standards. Our staff gather water samples from over 155 locations each month. We want to ensure that we have an accurate picture of the water quality.

Each year in March we publish a Water Quality Report (also referred to as the Consumer Confidence Report) to inform our customers about testing results and the quality of their drinking water:

Send Me A Report

Water Source Information

Northern Kentucky Water District (NKWD) is the largest water district and the third largest water utility in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. NKWD serves approximately 300,000 people in Campbell and Kenton Counties and portions of Boone, Grant and Pendleton Counties. NKWD staff are fully committed to excellence, working hard to uphold NKWD’s mission – to provide our customers a safe, clean and sufficient water supply through a reliable and interactive system that meets all State and Federal standards, while delivering great value at a reasonable cost.

NKWD operates three water treatment plants: Taylor Mill, Fort Thomas and Memorial Parkway. The Taylor Mill treatment plant’s water source is the Licking River while the Fort Thomas and Memorial Parkway treatment plants draw water from the Ohio River.

Water Treatment Process:

Phase 1: Intake & Pre-Treatment

The drinking water process begins at the river. Raw water passes through a traveling screen which removes large debris. From there, high-capacity transmission mains carry water to our reservoirs for storage or to the treatment process.

Phase 2: Clarification & Filtration

Water then travels through the rapid mixer (which acts like a large blender), where additional chemicals are added. After rapid mixing, water moves to clarification basins and then to filters. In this process, particles in the water become heavy and fall to the bottom of the basins where a large rake pushes them out. Conventional filtration then removes the tiniest of particles.

Phase 3: Advanced Treatment and Disinfection

NKWD uses a multi-barrier treatment approach for disinfection by using post-filtration granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption followed by ultraviolet light (UV) treatment. Treated water is then stored in clearwells before being sent to water tanks for distribution.