Dirty, rotten pipes – Iola crews often called to repair failing water lines

The last two Sunday mornings Iola crews worked in sub-freezing weather to repair broken water mains. More and more, city crews are called out to repair the city’s decaying water line system. Crews are called out about 65 to 70 times a year, largely because about 75 percent of the city’s water lines were laid a century or more ago.
“Look at this,” said Corey Schinstock as he held up a section of cast iron pipe. The 4-inch pipe was cut from a line to be repaired. In it were deep gouges.
“Those marks were made with a putty knife,” he said, indicating its decay.
Schinstock, Iola’s assistant city administrator, also pointed to “barnacles” within the piece of pipe. Barnacles are globs of calcified rust that have built up over the years. They restrict flow, occasionally to the point that firefighters choose more distant hydrants with more volume when fighting a fire.
“All of the old lines are like this, and some are a lot worse,” said Schinstock.
The city has three types of mains carrying water to 2,700 Iola residences and businesses.
Cast iron lines were first laid when Iola was a bustling city of more than 10,000 residents and on the cusp of the gas boom more than 100 years ago. Later, cast iron pipe was lined with concrete, which today are better vessels with minimal barnacles.
Starting about 40 years ago, the city began using plastic pipe.
“The plastic lines are pretty much free of any build-up, just a film,” Schinstock said.

 WELL AWARE of ongoing problems, the city replaces cast iron lines as quickly as it can, but at the current rate few alive today are likely to see it throughout.
“We budget $60,000 to $70,000 a year for water line maintenance,” Schinstock noted, which recently has meant about a mile of new line a year and repairs of leaks at the rate of better than one a week.
During 2013 the primary improvement was replacement of about 4,000 feet of 12-inch main that carries water from the new plant on the Neosho River’s edge to town. It was constructed along the old Missouri Pacific Railroad right of way next to a 16-inch line. A third main, 12 inches in diameter, brings water to town along U.S. 54.
In 2012 major improvement projects were replacement of a 2,500-foot line to carry water to the new Allen County Regional Hospital and 2,000 feet of main along South Walnut Street, starting just south of Madison Avenue.
Iola has 63 miles of water mains, ranging from 4-inch ones in older residential areas, on up to the primary transport lines of 12 and 16 inches. About 25 percent are plastic or newer cement-line cast iron.
Schinstock allowed it would be an advantage, to consumers and the city, to replace all of the old cast iron lines, but cost of an all-encompassing project would be prohibitive.

LEAKS USUALLY are easy to notice, and often are brought about by freezing weather, corrosion or extremely dry weather.
Freezing expands soil and puts pressure on lines, which causes them to give way.
Dry weather causes conditions just the opposite of freezing. Soil is packed against lines, from original installation and years of traffic above, since most are under streets. When soil becomes extremely dry, it contracts and permits pressure in lines to force water through weak areas, which were held harmless by compacted soil.
Usually, when a leak occurs water seeps through cracks in overlying asphalt and quickly becomes apparent to passersby.
“Police officers often notice leaks,” Schinstock said. Citizens also make reports.
If a leak surfaces in off-hours — often at night — an on-call employee is sent to determine its extent. If it appears not to be too bad, repair is put off until daylight hours, when employees are on duty and working conditions are safer.
“Safety is our main concern,” Schinstock interjected. “Working with heavy equipment and in a hole after dark is dangerous, even for crews like ours that are experienced.”
When repairs start, small-diameter holes are drilled through the street’s surface so that rods may be inserted, which have listening devices attached.
“The guys are good enough that they can pinpoint a leak just by the sound,” with them judging whether they’re hearing water running through a main or gurgling out through a crack.
Repairs are made in two ways, with a rubber-lined stainless steel sleeve for smaller ones or with a new section of plastic pipe for those of two to three feet or more. It’s not unusual for repairs to entail eight to 10 feet of new pipe.
With leaks occurring as often as they do, Schinstock said the water line repair crew, usually led by 18-year veteran Eric Miller, has become expert and efficient in dealing with leaks.
“Normally, they can find a leak, dig up the line, repair it and have the street back in service in about three hours,” he said.
On the weekend of Dec. 21-22, repair of a 12-inch main on North Kentucky took about 10 hours, mostly accomplished in the dead of night and frigid conditions.
“That leak pretty well drained the water storage tower on Miller Road,” Schinstock said, a tank that can hold 500,000 gallons.
Iola has three towers, with others, also holding 500,000 gallons each, on Oak Street and near the Gates Corporation plant.
Iola’s plant has capacity to process 4 million gallons in a day’s time, and most days purifies between a million and 1.5 million gallons. In addition to city customers, the plant serves Gas and six rural water districts.