 |
Water Distribution and Sewer Maintenance Divisions |
|
            |
When you enter the
subterranean maze of the water distribution and sewer collection systems,
you are dealing with a hidden system of pipes and tiles that carry finished
water to the customer and used water away. This system A few parts of the system are visible. Water towers and fire hydrants are easily noticed. Manhole lids and water valves are there for those that pay attention, but, most of the system is buried. If your grandfather or great-grandfather installed water or sewer lines, he may have installed some of Galion's lines. Many of our water lines are 50 to 60 years old. Many of our sewer lines are older. Combining the water system and the storm and sanitary sewer system, the 12 man maintenance crew maintains more than 250 miles of underground pipes -- about 1,320,000 feet of pipe. If you add 2600 catch basins (each one is cleaned each year), 500 plus fire hydrants (each of which is flushed each year) and another 500 manholes, drinking fountains in the parks, 500 plus utility locates a year, assisting with the swimming pool operation and reservoir maintenance, and the almost 700 logged work orders a year generated by customer requests or complaints, these guys are busy. When prioritizing line replacements we look at customer complaints but also consider the benefit to the system as a whole. If there is a fire flow benefit or an increase in circulation throughout a portion of the distribution system, that replacement receives a higher priority. Our line replacement dollars are few and our crew's time very valuable -- we do what we can schedule and what we can afford.
On the sanitary sewer
side, our main concerns are system backups and inflow.
|
