The Knox Water Department had a mild winter this year compared to last season.
Superintendent Todd Gardner informed the Knox Board of Public Works members this week that there weren’t too many calls about frozen water pipes. There was one call, but Gardner said the line from the resident’s home to the city hookup is the issue. If the issue were to be repaired, it would be the homeowner’s responsibility to take care of the problem.
A Vac truck was used during the summer last year to rid pits of sand. The sand buildup was to blame for some of the city’s problems last year with frozen water lines. With the eradication of the sand, they were able to get heaters down in the pits to thaw out some meters.
Gardner said the purchase of the Vac truck last year was a great investment for the city.
Gardner added that the crews will be working on repairing fire hydrants. The 100-year-old hydrant by Dollar General will be repaired as it appears to have been hit a number of times by semi drivers. The hydrant behind Wayne’s Lube, Oil and Filter will be removed as it is not operational. Another hydrant on Henry and Council will be replaced as valves are not working properly. When the employees are ready for these projects, the water will be turned off in the Carlson Drive Subdivision for a half of a day. The water department will notify WKVI when the repairs will begin.
