HU Water Department crews are checking water services – the lines that run from the main to the tap at the residence or business – looking for leaks. Particularly, they are looking for service lines made of poly service tubing, says Water System Operator Steve Terry. HU started using poly service tubing in the late 1960s, Terry says, and the material used now is much harder. “We track repairs that are a result of material failure,” says Terry. “For the last two years, poly service tubing has accounted for 75 percent of our repairs, so that’s what we’re targeting.”
The work is part of the department’s ongoing asset management program to monitor and maintain HU’s water mains. “We’ve budgeted $35,000 this fiscal year for service line replacement,” Terry says. “We’ll do as many as we can each year, with the goal that we’ll eventually replace all the poly service lines with something more durable.”