Tests set for Dunkirk water

DUNKIRK — The city’s newly renovated water plant is scheduled for testing in the next few days.
“The project has been going along very well,” Schneider Corporation engineer Tom Kallio told Dunkirk council members Monday.
If the tests go well, the switch to the new system could begin as early as next week.
The switch to the new plant will occur none too soon, Kallio explained, as the present plant is currently being operated manually without the benefit of any filtering system. This means at least one water department employee is required to be at the plant 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
While the ozone filtering system is being bypassed, water is flowing directly from city wells to homes and businesses, stirring up even more complaints about rusty water in the community.
Council member Judy Garr and Kallio assured residents that the water is chlorinated and safe to drink, but conceded it has a very high iron content.
Earlier this month, a large pipe at the city’s water treatment plant burst in the middle of the night.
See Water page 5
Water flooded the building and shorted out electrical equipment set for replacement when the new plant comes on line. That electrical equipment was never repaired and the plant has been limping along ever since, Kallio explained.
Iron content in city tap water should decrease once the new plant equipment kicks into operation, Kallio said. The improvement in water quality will be gradual, he said, as supply lines containing iron are flushed out.
Tests are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Kallio said.
He said water pressure should improve as well.
In addition he added that water pressure to homes and businesses should improve, too.
In other action Monday, First Pentecostal Church Pastor Jerry Holten questioned why the city sent him a bill to replace a sign for the church that was removed from along Main Street (Ind. 167) during the highway renovation project.
Holten said the original sign cost nearly $500 and met all state highway specifications. The bill for the new sign totals about $100, but the sign is not as elaborate, Holten said.
He asked what happened to the original sign, and said it feels like “someone had stolen the sign and now he was being asked to pay to get it back.”
Councilman Chuck Rife said, “We didn’t steal your sign.”
City officials explained that the Pentecostal Church sign was one of several that were removed by construction workers and now can’t be found by either state or city officials.
“The original sign is probably in a landfill somewhere,” Rife said.
Holten said he still didn’t feel it was fair that the church was being billed for the new replacement sign.
But Dunkirk resident Pam Bunch said paying to replace the church sign would be like “opening up a can of worms that we don’t need,” as there were other signs that were also never returned after the highway project was completed.
“The can of worms is already open,” Holten said.
As the discussion continued, Councilman Eric Bowler said he felt sorry for the church’s plight, offering to pay for the new sign with his own money, if necessary.
In other business Monday night, council members:
•Agreed to waive garage sale permit fees for the week of Glass Days, May 29 to June 4, as well as for Aug. 5 and 6 when citywide rummage sales are planned.
•Approved tax abatement compliance statements for projects authorized several years ago for SDP Corporation and the Verallia (Saint-Gobain) glass plant.
•Agreed with a recommendation from the West Jay Community Center board to appoint Dan Watson as a member of that board.[[In-content Ad]]