Repairs to the 24” and 20” mains were completed overnight. Supporting concrete for the repaired mains was poured and completed just before 7:00 a.m.
Concrete will be sufficiently cured by 1:00 p.m. At that time, crews will close the newly installed 20” valve and the process of bringing Plant A back online can commence.
Plant A startup will take 2 – 3 hours.
After Plant A is online, crews will begin OMU’s system flush (The water districts serving Daviess County will flush their systems as well).
Customers should see water flow pressure returning between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. The boil water order will still be in effect.
OMU water and electric crews with assistance from Owensboro Fire Department will flush the system – it is expected to take approximately 18 hours to complete the system flush.
Upon restoration of water, customers may notice air in their lines or discoloration. Please allow water to run until the air is forced out of the lines and the water runs clear.
Water quality samples will be taken at the conclusion of the flush.
Sample results should be available early Thursday morning. The boil water order will be lifted upon approval by the State Division of Water.
OMU and contractor crews will continue working the remainder of the week to restore all of the 20” main and complete final tie-ins. This work should not cause any service disruptions.
The 20” main that failed is believed to be the original cast iron main from Plant A installed in the early 1900’s.