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In a recent letter to the editor, I mentioned that the city water line across my front yard had just been patched for the fifth time, and that the line was still leaking. The next day, Dec. 20, city crews came back and patched the line for the sixth time. Unfortunately, the line continued to leak, so on Jan. 3, they came back for the seventh repair job. They patched the line again, and for now, it isn’t leaking in my yard. That makes three leaks in less than three months in the city water line across my yard alone. They repaired a water leak in my neighbor’s yard on Jan. 12, and another about one block away in this addition on Jan. 9.
Each time they patch a leak, they use a backhoe, up to four city trucks, and several men to make the repairs. This is occurring daily all over town, and it’s expensive. It would be interesting to know just how much it does cost the city (taxpayers) daily for these repairs. It’s also an unnecessary expense to the landowner just to get the yard back in decent shape after each occurrence. More important than the expense to all concerned is the amount of our treated water that has, and is going down the storm drains every day from all the leaks. We will surely regret the water that has been wasted if the drought continues and severe water rationing becomes necessary.
Nothing in the five capital improvement proposals totaling $47.5 million in new taxes to be voted on Feb. 14 indicates that the water and sewer infrastructure will be addressed. According to one proponent recently quoted in the Countywide News, water needs are being addressed and are “separately funded.” As I see it, we aren’t addressing the water needs at all, we are only addressing emergencies. We need to get some common sense back in our city government.
Bill E. Brooks
Shawnee
In a recent letter to the editor, I mentioned that the city water line across my front yard had just been patched for the fifth time, and that the line was still leaking. The next day, Dec. 20, city crews came back and patched the line for the sixth time. Unfortunately, the line continued to leak, so on Jan. 3, they came back for the seventh repair job. They patched the line again, and for now, it isn’t leaking in my yard. That makes three leaks in less than three months in the city water line across my yard alone. They repaired a water leak in my neighbor’s yard on Jan. 12, and another about one block away in this addition on Jan. 9.
Each time they patch a leak, they use a backhoe, up to four city trucks, and several men to make the repairs. This is occurring daily all over town, and it’s expensive. It would be interesting to know just how much it does cost the city (taxpayers) daily for these repairs. It’s also an unnecessary expense to the landowner just to get the yard back in decent shape after each occurrence. More important than the expense to all concerned is the amount of our treated water that has, and is going down the storm drains every day from all the leaks. We will surely regret the water that has been wasted if the drought continues and severe water rationing becomes necessary.
Nothing in the five capital improvement proposals totaling $47.5 million in new taxes to be voted on Feb. 14 indicates that the water and sewer infrastructure will be addressed. According to one proponent recently quoted in the Countywide News, water needs are being addressed and are “separately funded.” As I see it, we aren’t addressing the water needs at all, we are only addressing emergencies. We need to get some common sense back in our city government.
Bill E. Brooks
Shawnee
