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Pamela Krommendyk, Lawrence, said she drinks bottled water because tap water makes her sick.

Photo by Richard Gwin

Technicians use a color-based test to check for calcium hardness at the Clinton Reservoir Water Treatment Plant.

Photo by Nick Krug

Water levels at Clinton Lake continue to drop each year. This is the south side of Cinton Lake looking straight east towards the dam, pictured at top.

Photo by Thad Allender

Dead tree trunks stick up through the water on the southwest side of Clinton Lake. Sedimentation threatens Clinton Lake's life span as shallow areas eventually become mud flats and the capacity of the lake shrinks.

Photo by Rylan Howe

Clinton Lake and the Clinton Lake marina at bottom.

Photo by Mike Yoder

Clinton Lake Dam

Photo by Thad Allender

Dry mud cracks are easily visible near a swimming beach on the southwest side of Clinton Lake. Sedimentation threatens Clinton Lake's life span as shallow areas eventually become mud flats and the capacity of the lake shrinks.

Photo by Rylan Howe

Dry mud cracks are easily visible near a swimming beach on the southwest side of Clinton Lake. Sedimentation threatens Clinton Lake's life span as shallow areas eventually become mud flats and the capacity of the lake shrinks.

Photo by Rylan Howe

Gery Illgner, of Overland Park, is just about to call it a day after hanging out with his family on Clinton Lake Staurday. The Illgner family has been coming to the lake for about 10 years he estimated.

A group of geese swim towards to docks of Clinton Lakes marina looking for people to feed them on Staurday, July 15.

Photo by Rachel Seymour

Aaron Sansgaard, 15, jumps into Clinton Lake near the marina after his friend Dustin Illgner, 13, Satruday evening. The Illgner family owns a boat, which they took out for the day at Clinton Lake Saurday, July 15.

Trash is left out on one of Clinton Lakes beaches as swimmers enjoy the water Saturday evening on July 15.

Photo by Rachel Seymour

Two fishermen spend time on the Wakarusa arm of Clinton Lake, an area managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

A great Blue Heron walks through the shallows of Lake Perry Thursday, while water levels are low the hunting for food hasen't become any harder.

Photo by Rylan Howe

Gaylen Garinger, who lives at 937 E. 1000 Road southwest of Lawrence, checks a pump at an old well on his property while it pumps out some recent rain water. Garinger doesn't have rural water so once a week he or his wife goes to Hy-Vee Food Store to fill numerous 1 gallon water jugs.

Photo by Richard Gwin

A canoe on the Kaw River.

Jeff Riner inspects water basins at the Kaw River Water Treatment Plant, 720 W. 3rd. The facility, which is one of two in Lawrence that supplies drinking water to Lawrence residents, is operating at capacity this summer as the city's water usage numbers have been well above average. Riner, one of 16 operators that oversee Lawrence's water treatment facilities working around the clock, 365 days each year, manned the station in July.

Photo by Thad Allender

Jeff Riner inspects water basins at the Kaw River Water Treatment Plant, 720 W. 3rd. The facility, which is one of two in Lawrence that supplies drinking water to Lawrence residents, is operating at capacity this summer as the city's water usage numbers have been well above average. Riner, one of 16 operators that oversee Lawrence's water treatment facilities working around the clock, 365 days each year, manned the station in June.

Photo by Thad Allender

David Badger, who lives south of Carbondale on his family farm, heads out to check some of this year's corn crop. Badger's farm is on the end of a lake that supplies the city of Carbondale with its drinking water. He had to change his farming habits, no longer raising hogs because of the sewage run-off.

Photo by Richard Gwin

Skip Chappelle, Baldwin City resident and operator for the Clinton Reservoir Water Treatment Plant conducts an alkalinity test on water retrieved from tanks recently at the facility. Chapelle explained that he and his coworkers test the water for calcium hardness, total hardness acidity and alkalinity every two hours.

Photo by Nick Krug

Gaylen Garinger, who lives southwest of Lawrence, does some dishes in his sink with the only water avalible which is heavy with salt and unpalatable.

Photo by Richard Gwin

Skip Chappelle, operator for the Clinton Reservoir Water Treatment Plant makes his way from the treatment basins carrying samples of water to test within the laboratory of the facility in this file photo. A group of area rural water districts is expected to decide within the next 30 to 60 days whether to proceed with a $17 million project to build a new water plant between Lawrence and Eudora.

Photo by Nick Krug

David Badger, who lives south of Carbondale, drives on his family farm along with his dog Missy. Badger's farm is on the end of a lake that supplies the city of Carbondale with it's drinking water, so he's had to change some of his farming habits. He no longer raises hogs because of the sewage runoff.

Photo by Richard Gwin