From Aquifer to Tap: The McBaine Bottoms and Columbia’s Drinking Water

Published: February 11, 2014

Presentation by Alex Dzurick, Energy Educator with Columbia Water and Light

This presentation was originally given on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at Les Bourgeois Bistro, Rocheport, MO. 

Alex Dzurick from Columbia Water and Light discussed Columbia’s drinking water source, the alluvial aquifer beneath the McBaine Bottoms.

On top of the agricultural productivity gained from irrigation and predictable flooding, rivers have also been the major source of potable water since the dawn of humanity. Today, as erosion and contamination threaten our water supply, we rely on treated water to serve our needs. Luckily for those of us in Columbia, a natural alluvial aquifer in the McBaine Bottoms serves as the first step in the filtration of potable water.

Formed from glacial deposits along the river’s edge, this aquifer holds 44 billion gallons of naturally filtered water, which is then secondarily treated at the City’s water treatment plant before being piped to customers. Thanks to the aquifer, the water in Columbia is of very high quality and exceeds the water quality standards set by the EPA.

Alex Dzurick from Columbia Water and Light discussed Columbia’s drinking water source, the alluvial aquifer beneath the McBaine Bottoms.

 


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Resources and Links

Here are some more resources to dig deeper into this topic:

The Big Muddy Speaker Series in Rocheport

is hosted by these wonderful partners.

Special thanks to Les Bourgeois Vineyards for giving us the opportunity to use their beautiful space overlooking the Missouri River.

All speakers are presenting for free! Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with us!

Click here for a list of upcoming presentations»

The Big Muddy Speaker Series also takes place monthly in Kansas City and St. Charles.

The Big Muddy Speaker Series is partially funded by the Columbia Ecological Services Field Office (USFWS) and the Mo. Dept. of Conservation.


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