How do I set up a plant tour?

To set up a plant tour, please call the Henderson Water Utility at

(270) 826-2421

We are happy to offer tours of our water and wastewater treatment  plants to interested individuals and groups.

We are also happy to come to your group meeting or school classroom to make presentations on subjects of interest to you.

NWTP_Plant_Tour_00A tour begins at the raw water intake, which draws water out of the Ohio River.  The intake is located near the intersection of Fifth and Water streets, close to the North Water Treatment Plant.  The tour guide is hidden behind the large 250 HP motor on the far right.  The smaller electric motor on the left is “only” 150 HP.

NWTP_Plant_Tour_01Josh Thompson (far left), Chief Treatment Plant Operator at the North Water Treatment Plant (NWTP), shows the basins where the early purification stages take place.  These stages include:

  • Chemical introduction
  • Flash mixing
  • Solids contact and clarification
  • Aeration
  • Flocculation
  • Sedimentation
  • Additional chemical introduction

NWTP_Plant_Tour_02Inside the NWTP main building, Josh is standing behind a control panel as he explains how activated carbon and sand filters further purify the raw water.

NWTP_Plant_Tour_03Josh is showing mock ups of the activated charcoal and sand filters in the conference room.

NWTP_Plant_Tour_04The final stop of the tour is in the quality control lab, where the water is sampled for purity and proper chlorination.