By: Ryan Duey

After years of concern over high nitrate levels in Belleville’s drinking water, the city’s new water treatment plant is operational.

After more than five years of planning and issues the water treatment plant is now online, and nitrate levels are in normal range. The plant began supplying treated water to the town and Rural Water District #2. Early this week nitrate levels were holding steady at 6.8 ppm, the lowest recorded levels seen in decades.

Belleville City Manager Adam Anderson confirmed that they have notified the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and are working on the final inspection.

The City has stopped providing free bottled water to at-risk groups, including pregnant women and infants. Planning for the plant began in 2019 when nitrate levels approached and exceeded the KDHE limit of 10 ppm. The project, initially estimated at $3 million, has risen to an estimated $5 million in costs.