Village corrects loss of 33 million gallons of water

Village administrator Steve Pyles last week said he and village employees worked diligently throughout 2009 to correct a significant water loss that had been detected.

At the village council utility committee meeting last Monday, Pyles reported the difference between 2008 and 2009 was a decrease of 33 million gallons of water lost to leaks, which represents a deduction of 13.1 percent.

At a village council meeting in January, 2009, Pyles reported a 200,000-gallon-per-day leak that had been detected in the area of West Herrick Avenue. The village produces about 500,000 to 600,000 gallons of water a day. Pyles said a series of water leaks amounted to a loss of about 30 percent.

Pyles, the public works superintendent, the wastewater superintendent, the public works foreman, and the public works crew met on a weekly basis for about six months to work to correct the problem. They used graphs to determine how much water was being pumped from underground wells into the water tanks, and made adjustments so the graph would show a more level water activity. They established productivity goals, made a list of potential water leak sites, investigated, and corrected known problems.

According to Pyles, one of the larger breaks that was discovered was in a service line that connected to Cleveland City Forge.

"The rest were just knocking away at smaller leaks, but even small drips over time cause a big problem," Pyles said. He estimated that over a six-month period about 20 leaks were discovered and corrected.

Pyles said the most significant reduction was evident in the comparison of reports from December 2008 and December 2009 which showed a reduction of 29 percent. The loss identification and correction strategy saved the village 33 million gallons of water in 2009 and about $135,000.

"This is a very positive result," Pyles said, "and has allowed us to hold rates steady."