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Commission hears explanation of tank storage and rising water-main breaks; staff outlines corrosion mitigation
Summary
Staff explained elevated-tank storage zones and fire-flow limits, reported 25 main breaks since the start of the year, and said the utility is installing sacrificial anodes, pursuing testing of failed components and working with locators to reduce incidents.
Commissioners spent a substantial portion of the meeting on operational and performance matters, including a detailed explanation of how elevated-tank storage is sized and a report on a recent spike in water-main breaks.
An agency official described the tower schematic and three storage zones: operational (daily cycling where pumps turn on and off), equalization (covers peak-hour demand) and the lower zone reserved for fire protection. "In Wisconsin, the Insurance Services Organization wants at least 3,500 gallons per minute for 3 hours," the presenter said, noting that sizing typically targets common commercial-fire needs and that building capacity for every extreme event would be unaffordable.
Staff discussed an incident involving a trailer-home fire that illustrated a different operational risk: when plumbing is destroyed the water in fixed lines can continue to flow until crews or curb stops are accessed. The presenter said towers are taken out of service for maintenance about every five years and the utility coordinates with the fire department if more hydrants are in use during that time.
On system performance, Kelly reported 25 distribution-system events earlier in the year (compared with an annual budget of about 30 main breaks). Staff attributed the rise to increased corrosion and material failures, possibly exacerbated by stray electrical current and changes in source-water temperature, and said the utility is placing sacrificial anodes, planning tests of recovered parts when labs are available and working with locator contractor USIC to resolve locating issues. "A lot of it's from stray current," a staff member said.
Staff also reported a reduction in lead-and-copper testing frequency (now every three years) after meeting compliance requirements and confirmed a waiver request has been submitted to reduce inorganic and synthetic-organic sampling on emergency wells. The utility is developing an app to track main breaks and continuing design work on a new operations center subject to rezoning and planning approvals.
The discussion closed with operational clarifications about booster-pump reservoirs, tower bypasses for maintenance, and that the utility monitors elevated-tank levels rather than individual household pressure.
