North Judson officials are considering a long-term plan to better map the town’s water system and make it easier to isolate sections when repairs are needed.
During Monday night’s North Judson Town Council meeting, officials discussed some of the challenges crews have encountered while dealing with recent water leaks and valve repairs. It was shared that some of the town’s existing valves have been buried over the years or are no longer working, while portions of the water system are connected in loops that can make it difficult to shut off an individual section.
Town Manager Joe Leszek said he has been talking with a company about potentially mapping the town’s entire water and wastewater system, including valves and manholes.
Once the system is mapped, officials could identify locations where additional valves could be installed in order to better isolate individual sections during future repairs. Leszek said the improvements would be a long-term project, with additional valves potentially budgeted over the next 10 to 20 years.
The discussion followed recent water system repairs, including work related to leaks and valve replacements. Council members approved a purchase order of approximately $77,600 for work that included water leak and valve repairs, paving, and other related costs.
Officials also discussed some of the difficulties crews encountered during the recent repairs, including groundwater entering work areas and the need to install valves while portions of the system remained active.
No action was taken Monday on the proposed system-wide mapping or long-term valve improvements.
