General News: Water Leak Costing Village Thousands
November 14, 2006
At the work session of the Village Board of Trustees on Monday night, water superintendent Bob June had some bad news: a leaky pressure reduction valve on Duncan Avenue is losing an estimated 70,000 gallons of water a day.
June said he didn’t know exactly how long the leak had been there, but that it was probably a lot longer than ten weeks, the period of time it will take to get a replacement pressure valve installed. Based on the current water rate of $7.04 per 1,000 gallons, the loss in ten weeks would mount up to more than $35,000. The minimum cost for twenty weeks is at least $70,000.
Mayor Moulton and the trustees were quick to agree with June that the repairs had to be made as quickly as possible, despite the $35-40,000 replacement cost for the pressure reduction valve and vault that holds it.
Village clerk Jeanne Mahoney later explained that the leak was detected about ten days ago and that it was difficult to discover because there is so much water rushing into the vault containing the pressure valve that it is hard to distinguish sounds.
In order to replace the valve, a new vault or chamber for it will have to built. “You can’t put a person inside the vault because it is unsafe,” Mahoney said. “That’s why the repair requires a new vault.”
The new vault will be installed on the village right-of-way at The Grail property. June said that the water department would be responsible for connecting the new valve once it is manufactured, assembled and delivered.
The pressure reduction valve had been on a list of for replacement for five years, June said. The leak was found during routine preventive maintenance. He said the water department is currently checking all the pressure valves and, after inspecting half of them, has found no additional leaks.
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