HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 05.b❖ Hydrant Exercising
The Utilities Division has started
its transition from winter to
spring with the annual exercising
of all the fire hydrants in the
City. The primary reason to
exercise the hydrants is to
inspect them and make sure that
they operate properly. In turn,
this helps to ensure that the
hydrants will operate easily for
the Fire Department in an
emergency. Any problems in
operating the hydrants are
noted and a repair crew is sent out.
Another reason to exercise the hydrants is
to remove sediment that collects in some of
the pipes. With Lakeville's water treatment
system, sediment in the pipes is not a
significant issue though it can be found in
pipes that dead end and are not part of a
looped system. A cul- de-sac is an example
of a potential dead end, though most in
Lakeville join with another section of the
system. The Utilities Division will have
staff out exercising each of the 3385
hydrants through the remaining spring and
into early summer.
LAKEVILLE OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Christopher Petree, Director
April 2011
• Street Sweeping
As soon as the snow has
melted and before the major
spring rains, the Streets
Division is out to complete the
perennial task of cleaning City
streets. Streets maintenance
crews start sweeping around
lakes and wetlands to reduce
the amount of sediment and
debris that washes into those
bodies from the storm sewer
system. As those areas are
completed, they expand out to
sweep the remainder of the
City, picking up as much sand and debris
as possible to keep it out of the storm
sewer system. Keeping the storm system
clean and as free from debris as possible is
important not only environmentally, but
also to ensure that the system moves
water efficiently during storms. The
typical operation has one sweeper lead
off picking up the heavy debris along the
curb line followed by a second sweeper
to pick up anything missed by the first
one. A water tanker stays ahead of both
sweepers and pre -wets the
street to reduce dust. As each
sweeper fills its hopper, a
dump truck is there to take the
load and allow the sweepers to
keep moving. Later in the
summer, the division screens
the collected sweepings
separating sand and debris
with each disposed of
according to environmental
requirements.
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• Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation
Each year the Utilities Division
televises a portion of the
sanitary sewer system to inspect
the pipe for segments that need
repair. Two areas noted this
year were at Upper 167th Court
off Cedar Avenue and a short
segment on Hamburg Avenue.
After evaluating the pipe
segments, it was determined that
lining the pipe would be the
best alternative. Lining the pipe
using a cured in place pipe
(CIPP) is the best option for creating a seamless repair over joints and cracks in
the pipe. It is, effectively, a pipe within a pipe. In this case, a resin coated felt
tube is inverted into the damaged pipe and expanded along the length of the
segment to be repaired. Hot water or steam is then pumped into the tube to
expand it fully against the damaged pipe and to cure the resin. Once the
process is complete, the CIPP creates a seamless and corrosion resistant
replacement pipe without the need to dig up the street. Service laterals are
restored using a robotic cutter.
• Water Restrictions
.WN WATERING
11AM -5PM
DAILY
0/EVEN WATERING
MAY-SEPT
Having gone through as long a
winter as this past one felt like,
spring brings with it the itch to
get out in the yard, renew
plantings, and reawaken
dormant lawns. Along with
that, it is also time to remind
Lakeville's residents about water
restrictions. Simply put,
residents can water their lawns
on odd or even days depending
on the last number of their
address. Watering is prohibited
between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
every day. Watering during the heat of the day is the least efficient time
water because the evaporation rate is so high that very little water actually
gets to the roots. Residents can hand water their gardens and shrubbery at
anytime. There is, also, a 30 -day exception for new landscaping. If a resident
to
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has new landscaping, specifically sod or seed, they can request an exception
from the Operations & Maintenance Department before irrigating. Staff does
check on exception requests for new landscaping; reseeding an existing lawn
or a portion of an existing lawn does not qualify for a 30 -day exception. The
purpose of these watering restrictions is to ensure that the City's water system
can adequately respond to peak day demands as well as emergencies. Water
restrictions are in effect and enforced from May 1 through September 30.
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