Drinking Water System

The City of Florence Drinking Water Distribution System consists of 153 miles of water lines, 4,164 valves, 1,636 hydrants and 8,876 metering devices. The Public Services Department is responsible for the maintenance and management of the system. The City obtains its water from the Boone Florence Water Commission (BFWC), which obtains its water from Greater Cincinnati Water Works. The City entered into a 30 years contract agreement with the BFWC to purchase water and it expires in 2029. The City has also entered into an emergency supply agreement with the Northern Kentucky Water District to supply water in the event the City’s primary source becomes disrupted.

The Public Services Department provides project management, repair and regulatory compliance for the system. Duties performed by departmental personnel include valve turning, hydrant flushing, meter reading, meter testing, meter installation and water quality testing. The department is also responsible for project management of contracted work, as well as inspections and acceptance of new construction by developers.

The Public Services Department receives funding from an enterprise fund, which is a self-supporting fund in that the expenses must be supported by the revenue. The department is in the process of gathering inventory and condition assessment information and entering this data into the departments Computerized Maintenance Management System (Cartegraph) and GIS. The department publishes a three year repair/replacement schedule which identifies future projects.