After embarking on a multi-million dollar state mandated CSO wastewater upgrade which raised sewer rates 67%, the Crothersville Town Council has opted to explore updating and enlarging the town’s drinking water delivery system and purchase water from another provider.
The cost of replacing or repairing a failed town water well resulted in a preliminary engineer report by FPBH requested by the town. Dan Wright, engineer with FBPH explained his firm’s findings
•Municipally owned and operated raw water source wells, in combination with wholesale purchases by means of contractual agreement with the Stucker Fork Water Utility, comprises the source water supplies that serves the town of Crothersville. The Town is also interconnected with the Jackson County Water Utility for emergency use; however, there are no current agreements to purchase water from the Utility.
•At present, two of the three wells owned and operated by the Town are in working order and in production. However, both wells are required to be in serial operation in order to supply the volume necessary to meet the Town’s needs. This leaves no emergency redundancy. Solutions to increase production of these wells and/or purchase of additional supply from wholesale agreements are vital to ensure a proper system operation.
•A majority of the Town’s supply, treatment and distribution system is nearing the end of useful life. Broken mains are increasingly becoming a concern, as it is estimated that roughly half of the system is over 40-years of age; with the remaining components nearing or exceeding 25-years of age. Much of the older water mains are of 4-inch diameter and contain dead-ends. Dead-end systems diminish fire protection and may adversely impact water quality.
The distribution system also lacks adequate isolation valving that is necessary to properly perform maintenance and make repairs. Inadequate valving raises operation and maintenance costs by increasing the number of manhours required to make emergency repairs.
Additionally, a greater number of Crothersville customers are impacted when water must be shut off.
Concerns in the Industrial Park located in the southern portion of Town are twofold. Industries often experience low pressure and inadequate fire protection volume resulting in the added expense of owning, maintaining and operating individual fire suppression tanks and systems. Inadequate volume and flow to the Industrial Park may limit new development, as well as detour existing industries from expanding.
The report summarizes the following needed upgrades or replacements.
1. Provide additional elevated storage tank for volume; install new altitude valve(s) and chlorine boosters.
2. Replace existing 4-inch diameter mains with 6-inch diameter mains.
3. Eliminate dead-ends with looped systems.
4. Replace inoperable valves.
5. Install isolation valves at strategic locations to reduce service area impacted during maintenance and/or breaks.
6. Upsize and replace the existing southern connection transmission main to Stucker Fork along US 31.
7. Install new remote-read meters within the distribution system.
The initial cost estimate over $10.5 million.
Wright noted that there are a number of current competitive grants to help pay for the project as well as low interest loans.
“There is also the federal infrastructure funding that we do not know yet how that will play out,” said Wright
The council voted 5-0 to move forward with exploring options and funding of replacing and upgrading the town’s antique water distribution system.