Knox County water director details well drilling, repairs and planned force‑main cleaning

Jeff Picker, director of Knox County Water and Wastewater, told the Knox County Board of Commissioners on April 21 that crews are beginning line replacements at the PVA collection system to address inflow and infiltration identified by camera work and that work on Well Number 7 has started.

"We'll start working on that, to get some of that clean water out of that plant," Picker said, describing cracked tile, leaking laterals and other sources of groundwater that increase treatment volumes. He said crews have called locates and hoped to begin line replacements this week.

Picker said Well Number 7 is being drilled between the system's major wells (identified in the presentation as wells 3 and 6). The drilling contractor completed the first phase (drilling and sample collection) and the department will await lab results and perform pump and drawdown tests; those steps may extend into the week after the meeting. The new well is intended to add redundancy to the system by expanding available primary and secondary wells from the present configuration.

Picker also reviewed recent emergency repairs after bridge work on Howard–Danville Road damaged a 6‑inch county water main. The incident left customers, including the wastewater plant, without water for about 24 hours; crews purchased a specialized coupling for about $1,800, encased it in concrete and said they will discuss reimbursement with the bridge contractor.

The department presented inspection results for three water storage tanks: exterior inspections were completed and interiors are scheduled for a full dive and cleanout next year. Picker said the largest tank holds roughly 500,000 gallons and that the system is currently producing about 560,000 gallons of water per day. He framed some concerns about signage and tank exteriors as cosmetic and said staff planned cleaning to improve public perception.

On wastewater maintenance, Picker showed photos of root intrusion in sewer lines near the Roots Center/Berg area and said crews had cleared material with a jetter but that a root cutter would be needed for lasting repairs. He said the department is considering buying a cutter or contracting the work because the equipment is expensive.

To address chronic force‑main fouling, Picker said the county will contract a Wisconsin firm to perform ice‑based cleaning of four critical pump stations later this summer at an estimated cost of $60,000, with before‑and‑after pump tests planned to measure benefits. He said cleaning plus repairs to identified leaking laterals should reduce backups and the need to process groundwater at the plant.

Picker noted an Ohio EPA sanitary survey is scheduled in May; he intends to take the surveyor to the new well site before further work to confirm setback and variance requirements. He also said an OWDA (Ohio Water Development Authority) application covering the new administration building and Well Number 7 has passed preliminary review and will move to more detailed analysis after a contractor is selected.

Residents and board members raised complaints about occasional bleaching or spotting of laundry. Picker said the system maintains about 1 milligram per liter of free chlorine residual as required by EPA practice, questioned whether slugs of chlorine would occur, and suggested dyes or detergents as alternate causes. He also acknowledged the system can experience surge conditions during heavy rain that affect service and may contribute to backups.

Next steps: staff will continue repairs at the collection system, complete well testing and follow up on the OWDA application; the sanitary survey visit in May will inform well siting and setback work.