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Enterprise business owners press county over lack of potable water; commissioners advise rural water, KDHE and filtration options
Summary
Residents and a prospective convenience‑store operator from the Enterprise area told Dickinson County commissioners they lack potable water at a planned site. Commissioners said the county cannot fund rural water extensions as a rule, advised contacting the rural water association and KDHE for testing and treatment guidance, and suggested filtration or annexation as possible solutions.
Residents and a business applicant from the Enterprise area asked Dickinson County commissioners for help securing potable water for a proposed convenience store, describing a private well that is not potable for commercial use.
Speakers explained that the property had been split and the private well remained with a previous owner, and that the well water contained high levels of nitrates and hardness that render it unsuitable for drinking without treatment. They said the retail business would support local needs but cannot open without access to potable water.
Commissioners and staff responded that the county is generally not the funder of rural water extensions or commercial well drilling. They recommended the group contact the rural water association for guidance and KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment) for testing and regulatory requirements on commercial water use. Commissioners estimated that commercial water purification or reverse‑osmosis systems typically cost in the low thousands of dollars and said annexation to an adjoining municipality could be an option if the city agreed to provide service.
Several commissioners offered specific operational advice: request free water testing through county environmental services, reach out to the rural water association for technical assistance, and investigate whether a private filtration system could be certified for commercial use. They also noted the county can offer safety and economic development assistance but not the capital cost of rural water extensions in most typical cases.
The public discussion ended with commissioners urging the speakers to pursue rural water and KDHE consultations; no formal county funding or motion was made.
