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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 04.drJperatiori; & Pi laimeriance, JutTE-1. W ❖ Infrastructure Repair. Hydrant Flushing. It all starts with flushing hydrants. Beginning in the spring, utilities staff exercise each of the 3,374 hydrants throughout the City. The purpose is to make sure that hydrant covers come off the front and sides easily and that the top nut and valve operate smoothly. In many cases, moisture and other debris can get into the crevices and cause the covers and top nut to bind and make the hydrant hard to operate. When one is found that doesn't work properly, it is put on a list for immediate repair. Hydrant Repair. Following closely behind the hydrant flushing crews is the repair crew. They will take the hydrant apart to replace any damaged or non - working parts and recondition the guts of the hydrant to make sure the hydrant operates smoothly. A quick flush of the hydrant ensures that the repairs are complete. LAKEVILLE OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE Christopher Petree, Director June 2010 The maintenance and repair of City infrastructure is one of those things you just have to do. It's like fixing a door or painting the house, you do it so you don't have larger problems later. For the Utilities Division, one of those activities is the annual flushing and repair of hydrants. •• Hydrant Painting. Hand in hand with maintenance and repair goes the periodic repainting of the hydrants. Annually, the City contracts to have about 200 hydrants repainted. Like many other things, the paint on hydrants deteriorates over the years through constant exposure to weather and chemicals. To restore them, the contractor sandblasts each one to remove the old paint and any surface corrosion and then primes and paints them. To do this, the contractor puts plywood around the hydrant to protect the grass and places a tent over the hydrant to contain the sandblasting residue. Residents may notice some dust as a result of the sandblasting, but the majority of the used sand is swept up and disposed of. The silver hydrants you may see around the City have been sandblasted and primed and are awaiting their coat of red paint. ❖ Fast Concrete Patch Streets maintenance staff recently stepped a little outside the box and completed a concrete sidewalk patch along Holyoke Avenue in downtown Lakeville. In the course of installing a new junction box to support Pan -O -Prog activities a concrete panel was removed for electrical access. With the electrical work done, streets staff took over, replacing the concrete and restoring the sidewalk to its original condition. Storm Damage Repairs Recent heavy rains eroded the asphalt at the curb line along some City streets. Streets maintenance crews have been out to patch those areas and are continuing to move through the City to make repairs.