Jasper Common Council meeting: Water situation improving

Bret Kuebler, a lineman with the Jasper Electric Department, assisted Bernie Messmer with filling gallon jugs of water at at hydrant supplied by the Patoka Lake Regional Sewer and Water District through the Dubois utility.

Thursday morning, the city released details about the continued improvement at the water plant.

According to Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz, plant operators have advised chlorine levels are increasing, filters are responding well and they expect to perform a system-wide flush Thursday. If the flushing is able to commence, residents will notice water coming from fire hydrants throughout the city.

Our coverage of the water situation here.

Water customers need to continue to boil water used for drinking, coffee, tea, powdered drinks, fountain drinks, ice, brushing teeth and washing dishes.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, Utilities General Manager Bud Hauersperger had reported the manganese levels present in the water coming into the Jasper Municipal Water Plant were dropping.

Hauersperger said that as of Wednesday afternoon, the level of manganese was dropping and the chlorine was going up. He said that if it continues to improve, good water could begin to be pumped into the Jasper Water system sometime Thursday.

The elevated levels of manganese present in the Patoka River have not been accounted for, but the element’s reaction with the chlorine mixed into the city’s water has caused residual chlorine levels to drop. This prompted officials to issue a boil order early Wednesday morning due to the potential bacteria growth due to the lower amounts

Water samples are being taken both at the plant on 2nd Avenue and at the end of the water lines in various locations in the city to make sure that the water is back to normal. Once that happens, two water samples will be tested in a 24-hour interval. If they pass, then the boil order can be lifted.

Hauersperger also said that the water system in Jasper would have to be flushed to some degree to get the good water back into the tanks and water lines with the acceptable levels of chlorine to make sure bacteria and other micro-organisms are eradicated.

The council also took the following actions.

The council passed one resolution, seven ordinances and one amendment to an existing ordinance.

Also, the council passed two ordinances vacating public utility and drainage easements, one in Hillside Acres and another in Orchard Hill Subdivision.

The council heard from Pete Schwiegeraht of the Miller-Valentine Group of Cincinnati as his firm is moving towards trying to obtain federal tax credits through the State of Indiana to turn the former JOFCO building into apartments.

Schwiegeraht asked the council for copies of the city’s downtown and comprehensive redevelopment plans to submit with their application. He explained the plans will assist in Miller Valentine’s application score for the tax credits.

The final apartment structure would include just less than 70 units. Schwiegeraht also asked for and was granted a parking variance to help with what will be a challenge in the area of getting enough parking for tenants who lease apartments in the facility once it is built.