Greencastle water line not completed until September

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Water lines from the City of Greencastle Water Plant to Washington Street are undergoing rehabilitation. The project has been ongoing for several months and is slated for completion in September.

Monday, city workers were saw cutting and preparing water mains for the lines that run off the sides of the main pipeline in downtown Greencastle. They were preparing for temporary hookups which will be tied over when the old main line is shut off. The current lines which are 12-inches are being replaced with 10-inch PVC pipe which will be pulled through the old existing pipe. The temporary lines will then be retied to the new main line.

The project has taken longer than anticipated because of a problem near the Putnam County fairgrounds with a culvert.

Charlie Wells, Field Foreman told the BannerGraphic there is a problem underneath a box culvert near the fairgrounds.

"Crews ran a rod down the existing line and hooked pipe on the other end and began to pull it back through the 12-inch pipe. The rod went through but the pipe got stuck because something caused the area to narrow," stated Wells.

"We had to change the plan to bypass that culvert by digging on the west side of Andy Mohr to come up to a shallower depth," he continued.

Wells expects the bypass line to be finished as soon as bacteria samples come back from analysis. Testing usually only takes a few days. The new pipe will then be pulled through.

Completion of the project depends upon weather and getting through the "mouse hole" which is the term used by local water officials in referring to the viaduct area on Highway 231 north of town.

"It may the next pull," reported Wells. "We hope to finish up by mid September."

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