The Knox County Water & Wastewater Department is in the process of installing new manholes costing almost $600 each that will bolt down so vandals can't toss rocks down into them, Superintendent Jeff Pickrell told the Knox County Board of Commissioners on April 21.
The move comes after repeated incidents where individuals have thrown objects into open manholes, causing damage and additional costs for the county. The department aims to prevent further vandalism and reduce maintenance expenses by securing the manhole covers.
"They didn't just wash off the road, wash off the road, and down into there. Somebody actually threw them down," Pickrell said, according to a video recording of the meeting. "This is not the first time that this has this happened out there. It cost us lots of money, for somebody who was apparently not watching their children enough, too. And these are probably kids that are old enough to know better." according to a video recording of the meeting.
Pickrell also addressed other ongoing issues during his report. During bridge replacement on Howard-Danville Road, contractors broke into a six-inch water main, leaving customers and the county's wastewater plant without water for about 24 hours. The company assisted in digging up the pipe, but Pickrell had to drive to southern West Virginia to purchase an $1,800 part for repairs. He bought two parts as a precaution since work continues on the other side of the bridge. County crews used a wire to mark water line locations on the south side of the bridge in hopes of avoiding further incidents. The contractor is reimbursing the county for these parts according to the video recording.
Additionally, Pickrell said they poured four yards of concrete over one $1,800 replacement part called a climax coupler because previous parts were encased in concrete and contractors have large equipment available according to the video recording.
Exterior inspections have been completed on three county water tanks with reports submitted; a full clean-out or dive-in inspection is scheduled next year. Pickrell noted that peeling letters on Apple Valley's tank do not affect operations but may create negative perceptions among residents. Plans include cleaning tanks with pressure washers in future maintenance cycles. County Administrator Jason Booth added that stickers were also present on that tank according to the video recording.
Work continues on well seven as part of routine rotation among wells supplying water until storage tanks are full at Apple Valley before shutting off until needed again. Pickrell said there is capacity for more wells but recommended exploring property acquisition options now due to long lead times and emphasized protecting well fields from contamination according to the video.
