Streets

There are 26 miles of streets in Henderson which are hard-surfaced with blacktop. All streets have curbs and 90 percent have sidewalks. Within the last few years Front Street, 17th Street, Birch Street and S. Main Street have all been redone in concrete with storm sewer. The city crew fill street cracks with tar in the colder months so the cracks are open wider. They also patch any holes in the streets with what is called "cold patch" (asphalt). Tarring and patching streets are major and time-consuming projects in trying to help preserve streets. The Council tries to designate two or three streets a year to repair with either overlaying of new blacktop or replacing it with new construction. This is all decided upon by the funds available for street repair.

Water

The water tower riser height is 100' and the tank height is 30' for a total of 130'. The width of the tank is 40' and has a storage capacity of 200,000 gallons. The water tower was repainted inside and outside in 2008.

Three new city wells were installed and put into operation in the spring of 2008. The average depth of these wells is 160 feet. The system has a combined pumping capacity of 1,800 gallons per minute and an overhead storage capacity of 200,000 gallons. The average daily demand is 543,261 gallons, and the historic peak daily demand is 1,274,114 gallons. The maximum capacity of the system is 2,432,000 gallons. The static pressure is 56 pounds per square inch and the residual pressure is 52 pounds per square inch.

The three wells are rotated frequently and are tested for several different types of chemicals. The table below is an analysis of these tests:

Groundwater is available for industrial uses. A 12-foot well will produce 720 gallons of water per minute. The quality of water in Henderson does not necessitate a water treatment plant.

The color of the water is clear and the hardness is 17. The average tap water temperature varies from 40 degrees in the winter to 55 degrees in the summer.

The water rates for residential use is $34 per month (flat rate) and for commercial and industrial it is $35 per month (flat rate). There is an extra charge for anyone who uses steam-radiated heat. A bill is produced every month for these charges. The charges are for the previous month and also includes the sewer-use charges. There is a $250 tap fee for new 1" service.

Sewer

The City has a gravity flow sanitary sewer system that includes two lift stations. The sewer lines in the system are made out of clay tile and range from 4" to 10" in diameter. These sewer lines are still in good condition and are cleaned on a regular basis. The sanitary sewer system empties into a lagoon that is located approximately one mile east of town. The treatment plant was completed in 1978 and has a daily capacity of 100,000 gallons. This system was designed for a population of 2,000. A second lagoon exists to the north and has currently been reworked and utilized for extra capacity as needed. The City plans to put a new lift station in the North Industrial Park this year.

The sewer-use charges for residential is $16.50 per month (flat rate) and for commercial and industrial it is $17.00 per month (flat rate). A bill is produced every month for these charges. The charges are for the previous month and also includes the water-use charges. There is a $250 tap fee for a new service.