Water given all clear: The Courier-Times

Drinking water in New Castle’s downtown area is safe, even though the amount of water main breaks in the city might start to increase as spring approaches and weather conditions fluctuate rapidly.

Drinking water

During the month of February, the Henry County Health Department tested city resident’s water samples for free. The Courier-Times submitted a water sample for lead and other metal testing from the office, 201 S. 14th St., New Castle.

Metal contaminants can already be present in drinking water and are sorted into three categories during testing. The first is a group of metals that pose health risks over time if they exceed their maximum contaminant levels. Next is a group that won’t cause health problems, but might change the water’s color, clarity, taste and smell. Metals in the last group don’t have limits because they don’t have any lasting effects if consumed.

The Courier-Times water test showed that contaminant levels in the first group; arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper and lead; were all well below their maximum contaminant levels, making the water safe for drinking. Contaminant levels in the second group; aluminum, iron, manganese and zinc were also below their maximum containment levels.

The third group includes calcium, magnesium, nickel and sodium. According to an interpretation sheet attached to the test results, each of these metals has a different effect on drinking water. Calcium contributes to the hardness of the water, magnesium does the same and also contributes to lime scale, nickel can leach from pipes and fixtures and sodium contributes a salty taste, often from soft water treatments.

Shalei Rogers, an environmental specialist at the Henry County Health Department, said levels for calcium, magnesium, nickel and sodium are not regulated by the state, and levels can vary depending on water softners or other treatments used at a certain location.

The Courier-Times measured these metals as follows:

• Calcium: 101 mg/L

• Magnesium: 28.9 mg/L

• Nickel: 4.52 mg/L

• Sodium: 22.8 mg/L

Free water testing through the Henry County Health Department for city residents is now over, but anyone who still wants their water tested should take a sample to a private laboratory.

Water pipelines

New Castle’s recent water main breaks have been the result of changing weather and aging pipes.

Old water pipelines aren’t always in bad condition, said Greg Phipps, superintendent of the New Castle Water Plant. He estimates that the pipes running under the city are around 80 years old or more.

The problems start when the weather begins to change from colder temperatures to warmer temperatures. As New Castle heads into spring, frost will be driven further into the ground, causing it to shift in the soil. Most breaks will happen at this point in the year.

All of the pipes range in size, typically anywhere from two inches to 12 inches. Combined with age and weather, smaller pipes are more susceptible to breaking. Phipps said there were about 60 water main breaks in 2014.

Unfortunately, Phipps said there isn’t a viable option to stop this from happening and it would cost the city millions of dollars to try to replace every underground pipe, which isn’t a reasonable option.

“There’s not much to do for prevention,” Phipps said. “It’s more reaction rather than pro-action.”

While a complete replacement of pipes might not work right now, maintenance is important for the city’s infrastructure. Utility workers with Vectren Energy have been going around New Castle and checking sections of water pipelines to make sure they aren’t leaking.

“Utility infrastructure investments and improvements are important to community and economic development growth,” said Corey Murphy, president and CEO of the New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corporation. “It is critical that we continue to maintain and upgrade our infrastructure.”

When the water main broke under Vine Street on Jan. 21, about 2.75 million gallons of water poured into the street. This was on top of two other smaller breaks that happened around the same time, so the city department called in two private contractors for help with excavation and placing a new water valve on the pipe to stop the flow.

An average water main break can be fixed within four to six hours, depending on the size of the pipe. If at any point during that time the water pressure falls below 20 pounds per square inch (psi), a boil order is issued to residents to prevent them from drinking contaminated water. Anywhere below 20 psi can allow for contaminants to enter the water flow.

Phipps estimates that these breaks cost the city around $30,000, with all three crews working on the breaks for about 36 hours straight in the cold weather.

“Unless you’ve been standing waist-deep in freezing cold water, you just can’t appreciate what these guys do,” Phipps said.

*This story took awhile to write because I re-focused it a few times. The Courier-Times had sent a sample of its water to be tested because the Health Department was doing free testing in February. I talked with people in the Health Department and in the Water Plant for this story. I also took the photo of the man drilling in the street to look at the water pipes.