Knox Water Superintendent Todd Gardner announced a milestone in the Brown Circle Waterline Project when the Knox City Council met Tuesday evening.
Gardner told the council members that all the houses that had been hooked up to the old waterline in the area of Brown Circle, were switched over to the new waterline Tuesday, allowing the water department to switch off the outdated system. Three new fire hydrants were also installed as a part of the project. Gardner said when everything was complete, 33 homes were hooked up to the new system.
The Brown Circle Waterline Project was tackled as a preventative measure since the waterline system that was installed in the area in the 1940s was constructed of steel galvanized pipes that had a lifespan of only 40-45 years. The pipes in place were pushing more than 70 years of use and were tangled under residences and yards.
Gardner said the old material was very corrosive and the pipes were susceptible to cracks and leaks that could have resulted in bigger structural issues if they were left unaddressed.
“I was worried because if one of those lines blows out, it’s all sand. It wouldn’t take much to wash a lot of that sand right out from underneath the foundation.” Gardner explained, “You know, I was more worried that it would cost me more to replace somebody’s house if water main broke than it cost me to do the entire project.”
He reported that the new material that was used for the updated waterline system is made from ductile iron pipe which is forged from recycled metal and contains a concrete liner. Gardner said the lifespan of the new pipes is well over 100 years.
The project started in April and the finishing touches were completed on Wednesday, October 11th. The overall cost of the project will be presented to the Knox Board of Public Works and Safety at their next meeting on October 25th. However, at the start of the project, it was predicted to cost approximately $300,000 according to Gardner.
