Boil advisory lifted, water break appears
A water break occurred on East Market St. early Monday morning but crews hoped to have it fixed by early afternoon. This came on the heels of the boil advisory being lifted just two days prior.
JD Long
Cadiz lifts boil advisory after 6 weeks; water break, filter replacement next
The Village of Cadiz lifted its boil water advisory Saturday, Aug. 2, nearly six weeks after it was first issued. Mayor R. Kevin Jones said Monday that water tests had been returning good readings since the previous Monday, but officials waited to ensure results remained consistent before receiving final clearance from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
As of Monday morning, however, a major water line break on East Market Street near Charleston Street caused new problems, affecting the courthouse and prompting some employees to stay home. Jones said the pressure from weeks of flushing the pipes and working to eliminate turbidity may have contributed to the break. Officials hoped to have repairs completed by early afternoon.
A statement on the village website, issued by the Harrison County Emergency Management Agency and confirmed by Jones, said the water department will replace all four filters at the station, despite them being only three years old with a 15-year shelf life. Valve replacements are also planned, with work expected to begin by Friday.
“The water department will begin the process of changing out filters at the station, and replacing valves as well,” the statement read. “They will be sharing information as updated. They also encourage citizens to sign up for the Connect to Cadiz app in their phone's app store for the latest updates.”
Jones said favorable weather and proper chemical balances helped improve water quality. The EPA, he noted, required the village to wait beyond the usual 48 hours of good readings, with testing conducted every four hours each day.
“We're controlled by the EPA,” Jones said.
He added that Cadiz has invested $40 million in water system upgrades over the years and that while blame for past inaction could be shared among prior councils, his focus is on moving forward.
Bell Stores update
Jones also provided an update on the Bell Stores project on Lincoln Avenue. Plans for a car wash were dropped after property owner Ben St. John declined to sell the former Submarina site. Fuel pumps will be placed at the new site, the former Rite Aid, while diesel pumps will remain at the old site, which will close for construction Aug. 17.
Excavation will lower the old site to match the level of the new one. Bell Stores hopes to open the updated facilities by November or December.
