It has been a busy week for Emporia Public Works and contract crews with more than a dozen water main breaks across the city of Emporia.
While speaking with KVOE News Friday, Public Works Director Dean Grant echoed the sentiment from City Manager Trey Cocking earlier in the week thanking crews for their diligent work.
Grant says when it comes to past years, the quantity of breaks over the past week is not abnormal, but the proximity of the breaks is.
With the extra work being put in over the past several days, 36 straight hours for some workers, Grant says the budget may have to be adjusted slightly to financially account for the abundance of overtime, but it is unclear at this time what any potential impact to the budget could look like.
After more than a dozen water main breaks between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday night, including a blowout on a 20-inch main in the 1300 block of Prairie that triggered a brief water watch, crews were extremely busy with another load of main breaks Thursday including one on the campus of Flint Hills Technical College. Crews had another early start to the day Friday with a 20-inch line failure reported on Flint Road around 12:30 am.
Repairs on that break were completed around 2:50 pm according to City Communications Manager Christine Torrens.
7:54 am Friday: Flint Road repairs, related service disruptions may last into afternoon
The work load hasn’t gotten any easier for Emporia Public Works or contract crews as this week has progressed.
Crews had to begin work on a failed 20-inch line on Flint Road near Arrowhead Drive around 12:30 am. City Communications Manager Christine Torrens says water service in that area of town may have service disrupted into the afternoon hours. Crews worked quickly to close off the water supply so as to avoid any significant, long-term pressure issues across town.
To report water mains during business hours, call Public Works at 620-340-6339. To report water mains after business hours, call Lyon County Emergency Communications at 620-343-4225.
5:50 am Friday: Failure on Flint under repair
Emporia Public Works and contract crews got started on water main repairs dark and early Friday.
Crews had to begin work on a failed 20-inch line on Flint Road near Arrowhead Drive around 12:30 am and were still fully involved in repairs as of 5 am, although crews worked quickly to close off the water supply so as to avoid any significant, long-term pressure issues across town. Residents who notice odors or discoloration in their water after the repairs are done should call Public Works at 620-340-6339 during normal business hours so crews can flush lines nearby.
Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking, a guest on KVOE’s 8:05 am newscast Thursday, says the overall situation concerning pipe failures could have had its roots in a decision to shut down the East 12th Avenue water tower last week for maintenance, repainting and other work. The goal of that project, which is set to continue for several weeks, is to make sure the tower is viable for at least another 30 years, but shutdowns of that magnitude will always have some impact on the system. Cocking says that step, combined with higher-than-normal demand early in the week, likely played a role in a host of water main breaks that started developing Tuesday afternoon. Another likely factor: recent rain as Emporia got anywhere from half an inch to 1.5 inches of rain Monday.
The break early Friday follows a long day Thursday, with crews handling water main breaks outside Flint Hills Technical College, the 1100 block of Oxford, 15th and West — continuing issues in that immediate area — plus the 2200 block of Redwood and at 12th and Stanton. And it follows a stretch where over a dozen water main breaks were noted between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday night, including a blowout on a 20-inch main in the 1300 block of Prairie from Wednesday morning.
Cocking thanked Public Works and contract workers for their diligence in handling over 10 water main breaks this week. He says some workers went as long as 36 hours with little to no down time because of the work load.
As far as closures from earlier in the week, Cocking says Prairie from 12th to 15th and West at 15th will remain closed for a while.
As KVOE News has mentioned the past few weeks, the city is about to bid the 24th Avenue waterline project on Oct. 4. This will replace the pipe from the Water Treatment Plant at 24th and Industrial east to Prairie and south to 12th — including the section of pipe that failed Wednesday.
*Click here for a YouTube Short video.
*Click here for KVOE News’ prior coverage this week.
