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Franklin City reports March main break, water-tower work delayed as DOT projects complicate restorations
Summary
A March 31 main break in Franklin City sent roughly 200,000 gallons from the distribution system and led to overnight shutdown and repairs; painting and change-order work on the Numbers Lane water tower remains delayed pending a contractor change order while state DOT road projects are complicating restoration plans.
On March 31 Franklin City staff reported a water main break on a primary feed from the booster station to the tower that they estimate released roughly 200,000 gallons before crews isolated and repaired the line.
"March 31, we had another main break. This was in the evening, so it was reported quickly right on Drexel And 60 6 roughly to see a patch. It's not patched yet, but ... it was actually coming from a different station back around, so it was still probably 200,000 gallons. But, and we were able to shut it off, shut it down for the night and fix it," a staff member said during the council meeting.
City staff said the hole required cutting out a section at a joint on the main line and that asphalt restoration is pending the Department of Public Works obtaining material. The same staff member said the area affected connectivity to surface roadwork on Highway 100 and that crews will need to coordinate restoration with ongoing state road construction.
Why it matters: the main feed links a booster station and the city's elevated storage, so unplanned outages and large water loss have direct implications for service reliability, temporary shutoffs and repair costs. Staff said the break occurred while one station was not running, which reduced what could have been a larger flow.
City staff also gave a status update on the Numbers Lane water tower. Painting work and related contract activity have stalled while the city awaits a change order from the tower contractor. "It's been a standstill on contract fee. So the weather breaks, and we're still waiting on a change order with the whole lowering of the board. So I expect Will to be here. Hopefully, we thought we'd have it this month, but Landmark is kind of dragging their feet on that," the staff member said.
Contract C, the last piece of a separate water-main replacement program, is active and the foreman told staff the crew hopes to finish work and begin restoration in the coming week, weather permitting. Staff said some valve boxes and adjustments will be made intermittently as paving and restoration move forward.
Staff warned that restoration work is being complicated by multiple WISDOT projects at the same intersection, which will continue to require phased construction and could delay full surface restoration. A councilmember asked how long traffic impacts might last; staff said the DOT projects are multi-phased and could extend into the fall.
City staff reported a related list of follow-ups: cleaning one hydrant that still had a bag attached, replacing or repairing valve nuts that had been improperly secured and coordinating with suppliers, manufacturers and contractors to ensure repaired valves are returned to like-new condition.
The council did not take formal action on the water items at the meeting; staff said a fuller report from the consultant Oak Creek is expected next month and that more detailed water-loss figures will be circulated when available.
