Perhaps you’re already signed up to receive calls, texts or emails if there is scheduled water maintenance in your area. Our goal is to restore water service as quickly as possible to our customers. Our crews respond to water line breaks 24/7.
Here’s what you need to know if there’s scheduled maintenance in your neighborhood.
Utility Locates: Before they begin digging down to the water line break, crews will contact Kansas One Call to mark the water main and other utilities near the break. For their own safety and to avoid damaging other utilities, crews cannot begin any repair work until all utilities in the area have been located and marked.
Work Begins: Once the other utilities are marked, crews can begin excavating. BPU’s water lines are buried 3-10 feet below ground. Some pipes, depending on their depth, will require additional safety measures be put in place, which may extend the time it takes the crew to complete the repair.
After the pipe is exposed, the crew can begin to repair the line, which could include replacing a section of pipe, putting a repair clamp around the pipe on installing a new valve.
Flushing the Lines: When they’ve completed the repair, the crew will open a nearby hydrant to flush air and sediment from the pipe before reconnecting it to the system. Once this is completed and depending on the size of the water line, it can take 10-30 minutes to recharge the line and return it to service for customers.
Once water service resumes, customers should flush their own water lines to remove sediment and air by running water from a few faucets for a few minutes (until water runs clear).
Restoration: Once the repair has been completed and water service has been restored, the crew will backfill the hole or trench with gravel and prepare the roadway for patching. If it’s in the right-of-way, crews will reseed the area when temperatures allow.