By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

VERSAILLES — Village Administrator Kyle Francis advised council on project efficiencies within the Village of Versailles.

“The new filtration system had start-up on May 20 with representatives from OP Aquatics, Shinn Bros., and the village present,” Francis said.

Francis reported the new system, is working well with an increased filtration rate and an automatic chlorine feed system that is connected to a water analyzer.

“The backwashing of the filters takes minutes to perform instead of hours of labor like with the old filtration system,” Francis said.

The filters aren’t the only things hard at work, Shinn Bros. had completed the dirt and lawn restoration work along Reed Road. as part of the Phase II Raw Water Project. All driveway restoration is also complete, and the final punchlist will be tabulated by village staff shortly. Brumbaugh Construction has completed most of their lawn restoration work on the project as well.

“Shinn Bros. also began work the week of May 13 on the North Central Waterline Improvements Project,” Francis said. “Work began on Greenlawn Avenue between Warren Street and West Street where a new 8” water main is being installed to replace an aging 4” cast iron/transite main.”

With transite being non-traceable, the main was accidentally hit by the excavator bucket on May 20 as the existing main came across unknowingly into the proposed main alignment that was being installed.

“Village personnel were able to valve the area down with minor water customer disruption while Shinn Bros. made the repairs to place the existing 4-inch main back in service,” Francis said.

Francis said these types of situations will likely take place on this project as the existing water mains in the area are some of the oldest in the village dating back to the early 1900s in some areas.

“Mark ‘Tank’ Voisard will be keeping notes, performing inspection duties, and working with residents as needed as work progresses,” Francis said.

Quinter Well Drilling has completed all 12 of the well pump lowering as identified in the Eagon & Associated Reed Road Residential Well Survey Report.

“In most of these cases, the well pumps were originally placed shallow in the well casings when installed,” Francis said.

He advised that the report from Eagon then recommended that they be lowered to minimize disturbance with the new village municipal wells in operation at Reed/Day Road. The two replacement residential wells will be installed in the very near future by Quinter Well Drilling.

“The new Reed Road wellfield continues to work as designed and expected,” Francis said. “We are currently pumping at 225 GPM from one Reed Road well at a time, with four existing wells running as well.”

The existing wells are near the water plant, and there is an approximate income rate at the plant of 425 GPM. Francis said the intent for both aquifers is to equally pump out of both without putting a major strain on either one.

“Plant operators have been making adjustment at the water treatment plant to dial in the desired water chemistry,” Francis said.

Francis advised customers may have noticed the water being a little harder than normal over the past week. This increased hardness will not hurt anyone and the water is safe to drink as it meets OEPA requirements.

“The water coming in from the new Reed Road wellfield has different characteristics than what we have seen historically from the wells in town in regards to the type of hardness,” Francis said.

Adjustments are being made slowly and carefully to dial things back into normal standing. The first round of residential well monitoring will begin the week of May 28 around the Reed Road Wellfield. This well monitoring network will be utilized to collect data on how the new municipal water production wells are influencing the aquifer in the area.

“Notification letters will be sent out to the locations that Eagon & Associated selected for monitoring locations. Approximately 28 wells will be monitored,” Francis said.

The Versailles Village Council meet every second and fourth Wednesday in the EMS Building on Baker Road starting at 7 p.m. All regular Council Meetings are open and welcome to the public.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].