Improvements at the Ironton Water Department’s Indian Hills pump station will mean service complications Wednesday for area residents.

Tuesday, May 02, 2000

Improvements at the Ironton Water Department’s Indian Hills pump station will mean service complications Wednesday for area residents.

The city will shut down water service from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to Indian Hills, Zenith Heights and to homes along Ohio 141 inside the city limits so crews can install new electrical equipment in the pump house on Shawnee Trail, water distribution superintendent John McCabe said.

The city is issuing a boil water advisory because of the potential pressure decrease in lines as crews work on the equipment, McCabe said.

The advisory will remain in effect from Wednesday evening until further notice, he said.

However, the work will keep water pressure more constant for nearby users.

Ironton uses a gravity-fed water system in most areas, except on the higher ground in that Ohio 141 area, McCabe said.

Two pumps, an air compressor and a water holding tank are used there to provide proper water pressure to customers at higher elevations, he said.

But the electronic controls are aging and need to be replaced, he added.

New equipment includes electric switching systems for the pumps and a water tank monitoring device, city electrician Steve Sydow said.

The water inside the storage tank needs to remain at a proper level to supply nearby users. And high air pressure needs to be maintained in the tank because that pushes the water out to those users, Sydow said.

The new monitor unit, developed by C.I. Thornburg, will be more reliable than current level indicators – meaning less wear and tear on pumps and more constant pressure for water users, Sydow said.

The existing equipment has been causing the pumps and compressor to run on a "short cycle," he said.

"People have noticed their pressures a little low sometimes," Sydow said. "And there have been so many breaks around here because the pipes are old, so the constant difference in pressure has not been good for them, either."

New equipment will keep that from happening and offer the city future remote control possibilities, he added.

The city is asking water customers not to use water during Wednesday’s shutdown, McCabe said.

For more information, contact the water department at 532-3353.