MOUNT VERNON — The investigation has begun for the city of Mount Vernon.
City officials are working to figure out what caused three water main leaks within a short period of time on Mansfield Avenue, recently. The old cast iron pipes had holes about the size of a quarter in them.
Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis said the city cut a piece of the pipe off and the pipe and holes are being analyzed. City officials contacted Clough Pipe Co. of Coshocton, which manufactured the pipes in 1962, in an effort to find out what happened.
The city uses ductile iron with a thin coat of concrete for new pipes, but has not had this kind of problem in many years.
“We’re seriously looking at why three leaks would happen so close in the same pipe,” Mavis said. “[Safety-Service Director] Dave Glass has been here 31 years and he’s never seen three breaks of that kind.”
There was no evidence of deterioration on the outside of the pipe, Mavis said, but officials are also looking at the soil in the area to see if it’s corrosive. A piece of the pipe has been sent to the International Textile Analysis Laboratory, the company that performed the tests for water splotching, to see if it can determine any cause.
Mavis said the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association will also be contacted to see if it can come up with a solution.
“We’re looking at the soil and the pipe to see if there’s some issue that we need to be aware of,” Mavis said.
On a good note, Mavis said the wall of the house that was affected by the leaks has been re-laid and the jacks were taken out Thursday.
In other news:
•Mavis said the traffic signal at the intersection of Sandusky and West High streets is back in operation. The old controller had failed and the city had to pull parts from the one on Sugar and Mulberry to fix it, since parts are no longer made for it. The signal at Sandusky Street will be upgraded, then the parts will be returned to the one at Sugar. Until then, the signal at Sugar Street will be a flashing light.
•Mavis said city officials will meet with the downtown merchants and Heritage Centre Association officials soon to discuss parking and the monitoring of it in the downtown area. He has received concerns from business owners, as well as residents who shop downtown, about the monitoring issue and felt it would be good to get more input on the situation.
•The Hazardous Waste Day will be Oct. 3 at the Knox County Fairgrounds. Mavis said there will be a charge per vehicle and for tires; oil based paints will not be accepted this year.
•The city has begun the application process to Clean Ohio Funds for money to assess the old American National Can property. The application is expected to be on file at the library and on the city’s Web site Sept. 18 for any resident who would like to look at it. A public meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. in council chambers.
•Mavis said the engineer’s office is working on two projects. The first is the specifications on the brick and curb work on McArthur and McKenzie streets. The second is the Public Works application is due Oct. 2 and the city is applying for funds to add a turn lane in at the Gambier and Edgewood roads intersection. An outside engineering firm is also working on the crossover road project between Yauger Road and Coshocton Avenue.
•Trick or Treat in the city will be Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
