Emporia Public Works crews continue to make progress on water main issues across the city.
Public Works Director Frank Abart tells KVOE News that as of Thursday afternoon, crews were only working on one active break on Graham Street, north of Hwy 50 where an 8-inch line failed Wednesday night, knocking out water service to several nearby businesses and the Public Works Center. Abart says the repairs are getting complicated with a gas line nearby and says the work may continue into Friday on those repairs.
Public Works crews have had a busy 48 hours since initially beginning work on more than a half-dozen breaks across the city. Abart says heat, drought, and age is the likely reason for all the recent breaks.
8 a.m. Thursday
There’s no rest for the weary, and this week that’s especially true if you’re employed by Emporia Public Works.
Late-night water main failures on 12th near Grand and at US Highway 50 and Graham on Wednesday night triggered more overnight repair projects for crews after staff had to work through the overnight hours Tuesday into Wednesday on several other water main breaks across town.
During KVOE’s 8:05 am newscast Wednesday, Public Works Director Frank Abart said a combination of heat, drought and age is the likely reason for all the recent water main breaks.
The break on West 12th on Wednesday night happened in an ongoing construction area as the city replaces an old 20-inch main on 12th between Prairie and Grand. Abart says this part of the work zone was in the works for replacement soon.
The Tuesday break points — Third and Melody, Fourth and Oak, Sixth and Merchant, 12th and Garfield, 15th and Luther and 22nd and Hillcrest — were all fixed Wednesday, according to Abart.
Meanwhile, adjustments continue at the Flint Hills Technical College main campus near 18th and Graphic Arts after a 6-inch line failed outside the main building this week. President Dean Hollenbeck says the situation could have been drastically different had the failure been inside the building.
Hollenbeck says the water is shut off to the restrooms in the main building but other operations will continue as normal. Other campus buildings were not affected.
Work should wrap up Thursday.
