Knox Water Department crews are improving fire protection in city limits.
Water Superintendent Todd Gardner told the Knox Board of Public Works members last week that the fire hydrant fees collected helped pay for the installation of 26 new fire hydrants and updated several others to provide adequate fire protection in neighborhoods. Continue reading
The Knox Board of Works members considered requests for new vehicles during their meeting on Wednesday.
Water Superintendent Todd Gardner explained that he is looking to purchase a new service truck. He said he is about 10 years behind in getting a new truck as funds weren’t available. He wants to replace a 1989 truck that no longer runs efficiently. He obtained three quotes for a service truck with a service truck from Schepel in Merrillville, Bill Estes in Indianapolis and Gates in South Bend. Schepel gave him the lowest quote at $40,640 for a ¾-ton GMC truck with a service body. Tool boxes may be added that could cost approximately $1,000 extra.
Only six houses are left that need to hook up to the new water lines in the Brown Circle project in Knox.
Water Superintendent Todd Gardner told the Knox Board of Public Works on Wednesday that everything should be done by the end of October. He said that firm costs will be presented at the next meeting on Oct. 25.
The Knox Board of Public Works will meet this morning where the members will receive information on the cleanup or renovation efforts at 301 N. Shield Street and 6 N. Pearl Street.
The board heard from Lucia Valladares during their last meeting in August where she discussed the progress on renovation efforts on the home at 6 N. Pearl Street. She said she would be hiring a business to help with the demolition portion of the proposed project. She plans on focusing on the exterior part of the building this year. Her plan is to demolish two side additions and the back porch, reinforce the foundation, put up siding, replace the roof and construct a new addition. She anticipates the exterior work to be complete by winter.
Crews from the Knox Water Department successfully removed a nonfunctioning fire hydrant by Wayne’s Lube Oil and Filter on Carlson Drive this morning.
Water Superintendent Todd Gardner told WKVI that residents on Carlson Drive and Pine Street from Henry Drive to Carlson Drive will need to boil water until water test results come back on Friday. The results will determine if the water is healthy for human consumption without the boil water order.
A fire hydrant was replaced behind the B&K Restaurant in Knox this week. Residents in that area are also encouraged to boil water until further notice.
The Knox Water Department will be shutting off the water in an area of the city on Tuesday.
Water Superintendent Todd Gardner told WKVI News that crews will be replacing a fire hydrant behind the B&K restaurant on Council Drive and installing a line valve in that area. In order to complete this task properly, water will be shut off to residents in the area of Council Drive, a portion of Henry Drive, Airway Drive and Carlson Drive.
When the water is turned back on, residents affected by the hydrant replacement will be under a boil water order. Gardner will keep WKVI informed on the timing of all events.
The Knox Water Department has been dealing with frozen water meters this winter, although the number of meters changed has not reached last year’s totals.
Superintendent Todd Gardner told the Board of Public Works this week that freeze plates break when temperatures are cold, and Gardner stocked up after last year’s cold winter. He said crews typically will repair 15 to 20 freeze plates, but last year the number shot up to 120.
“They’re plastic. They’re meant to break so they don’t break the brass meters. We take them apart and clean them up and put them back together,” said Gardner.
The City of Knox is looking to get a grant to fix water lines in areas of Knox that don’t get enough pressure.
Water Superintendent Todd Gardner told the Board of Public Works members that the project would include replacing outdated galvanized lines that go under homes. The project should also repair pressure issues to fire hydrants.
“We’ll add a section of line that actually goes down and around brown circle on Delamatyr and ties back in on Fisher and Adam. It would make a loop and add two fire hydrants down there where we don’t have any fire protection now. The other would be to extend down Mound to Myrtle Court and then back to Washington Street down to Allen Drive. We’re looking to cut across and tie in at the end of Lake Street,” explained Gardner.
Knox Park Superintendent George Byer gave an update to the Knox City Council members last night on the state of the city’s parks.
Byer said since the vandalism has tapered off a bit, the park crews have been able to work in Heritage Park. They’ve installed a bench, a swing set, teeter-totter, and rehabilitated the monkey bars. Water Superintendent Todd Gardner will be helping the park department with running a line for a water fountain at the park. The board has plans to build a shelter at the park next year.
Fire hydrant flushing in the City of Knox will take place Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25.
Flushing will take place during the day. If you come across standing water in the road, drive carefully or turn around and take a different route. If you experience rusty water, turn on the faucet and let the water run until it runs clear.
Water Superintendent Todd Gardner said crews flush fire hydrants to flush out any iron and sediment out of the water system that has collected over the summer months.
If you have any questions, call the Knox Water Department at (574) 772-4461.
Knox Wastewater Superintendent Kelly Clemons told the Knox Board of Public Works this week that some snow melt and rain water got into manholes around the city and that issue will need to be addressed in the future. Some violations were also noted at the plant which are being remedied. Clemons said they could be fined for the violations, but she hasn’t received any penalties yet.
The Knox Board of Public Works did not have a quorum but heard reports from department heads on issues Wednesday morning.
Knox Water Superintendent Todd Gardner said about 50 percent of the frozen pipes reported have been thawed and they’re working on more as the days go by. The first section of pipes to freeze was along Spruce Drive and all but one person has water flowing to the residence.
A handful of Knox residents are without water as a result of the sustained cold temperatures. Knox Water Superintendent Todd Gardner tells WKVI News a total of 19 residences, including two that are not occupied, mainly in the Parkview Heights area, are experiencing frozen water lines. “The water mains are shallow in that area. What’s happened is the ground’s turned into a block of ice around the water main, so when our customers turn their water off it’s only a matter of minutes and their service freezes up,” Gardner explains. ” When their service freezes up and it travels out into the mains, there’s nothing we can do to thaw them back out. What we’re asking is people to keep their water turned on and running to keep from freezing and also keep the mains from freezing. Running water won’t freeze, so we’re trying to get the point out. One of the problems we have is when it’s 20 and sunny everyone thinks they can turn their water off because it’s not going to freeze, but the problem is under ground three feet.” Continue reading
The Knox City Water Department will be flushing fire hydrants this week beginning today through Friday.
According to Water Superintendent Todd Gardner, there are three benefits to flushing fire hydrants. The action exercises the hydrants to keep them in good functioning order and to ensure fittings are working properly. Iron and other deposits are flushed out of lines that may build up over time and stagnant water is removing from areas that may not have a high volume of use.
