The Knox Water Department will begin flushing waterlines and fire hydrants tomorrow morning.
Knox Water Superintendent Todd Garner said this procedure is performed to test the working order of the fire hydrants and to keep the water mains clean. Gardner said the work will be done during the day and should be completed, at the latest, by Tuesday of next week.
Keep an eye out for Knox Water Department crews while driving around town this week.
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area of Brown Circle, were switched over to the new waterline Tuesday, allowing the water department to switch off the outdated system.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. Continue reading
Documents dating back as far as 1880 are being dug up and thoroughly searched as officials attempt to find required information for a potential grant. The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) offers a water grant that the city of Knox wants to receive. The deadline to apply for the grant is Friday, May 29.
Officials are having issues identifying the right of way on the Mound and Water street areas. If they do not have a legal description of the right of way, they can not proceed with the grant.
Water Department Superintendent Todd Gardner claims documents from the late 1800s, through the 1900s into the twenty-first century have been searched, but to no avail.
The investigation continues but if the necessary information is not obtained prior to Friday, the city officials will have no choice but to wait another 6 months for the grant to be offered again. Although they would prefer to receive the grant as soon as possible, it is not incredibly pertinent that it is obtained at this time and no problems will arise if the grant is not received now.
In an attempt to make the Knox Water Department more self-sufficient, the Knox City Council is considering a rate increase of $6.70 a month. The increase would be spread out over two years, and, if approved, could mean a monthly increase of $3.75 per month as early as August.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained the hike, which was recommended by Umbaugh and Associates, would ensure the water department could continue regular operations.
“The reason I wanted this rate study done was to make sure we had enough money to pay for our bonds, and other financial obligations. Basically, I wanted to make sure the water department was on sound financial footing,” said Houston.
Knox City Clerk-Treasurer, Jeff Houston, discussed the numbers from the Water Department with the City Council members at their recent meeting.
“This year we have a small loss of $54,000 in this utility,” said Houston. “It might come to a little bit less, but that’s what it’s projected to be, but that also includes $66,765 in depreciation.”
Houston said the projection is for the Water Department to lose less money next year.
