No one likes to lose their water service. Businesses in particular can be stopped in their tracks without water service.  Bruce Boettcher, the Emporia Office Manager for BG, recently spoke at a meeting concerning the upcoming repairs to the Sewer lines in Downtown Emporia. The Emporia Gazette was there and featured an article on what was discussed.

Bruce explained the project schedule which is estimated to begin construction in April of 2019.  “He said residents and business owners will see six-hour stretches of time wherein they can’t use water at all, even for cooking, cleaning or restroom use, when work is being done on their block. Repairs will be done over the space of two to five days per three-block area, with one dig going on per block at any given time,” reported  Lydia Kautz of the Emporia Gazette.  The article went on the say “Some work may be done at night, he said, especially in areas with businesses such as restaurants, hair salons and dentists’ offices — operations that need water usage to remain open. Such nighttime repairs would take place between midnight at 6 a.m., Boettcher said. However, there will be parking restrictions and water usage restrictions.”

The project is crucial for a variety of reasons. “Cracked sewer pipes pose a danger because of the possibility of infiltration and exfiltration. Infiltration is when ground or stormwater seeps into pipes and causes a need for more extensive treatment, Boettcher said, and exfiltration is when sewage seeps out of the pipes into the soil and possibly into the groundwater, causing contamination. This can happen, he said, during dry periods such as the region suffered this summer during the drought.”

Bruce supplied samples of several materials so that the meeting attendees could see what some of the pieces look like that will likely be used.

BG Consultants designed the project and will be aiding the city with the bidding and construction in 2019.

Check out the full article on the Emporia Gazette website here.