Google image shows water tower and two businesses involved. |
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
Midway residents nearly saw their water shut off on Thursday
after an accident involving two businesses in Midway Station.
Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said AST Environmental hired its neighbor, Reed
Utilities, to bore underground for an electric-service upgrade. During the
process, a worker hit the 12-inch water main that comes from the nearby tower.
After sending an alert to City Council members, City Hall
staff and the Messenger at 3:53 p.m., warning that the city's water supply
might be shut off, Vandegrift sent another one at 5:31, saying the issue had
been revolved.
The city's water and wastewater operator, Jack Blevins,
saved the day, Vandegrift said.
"Because of the amount of water on the site . . . Jack
was very concerned the break was bad," Vandegrift said in an email.
"He was even more concerned because it was at the bottom of the pipe, the
hardest spot to do a repair."
Luckily, Blevins was able to determine upon digging around
the pipe that he could fix it without cutting it, and used a repair band around
the pipe that sealed the break.
Jack Blevins |
"I give Jack a ton of credit because he doesn't
normally call me as worried as he did today, and given the current
circumstances of dealing with covid-19, the timing would have been
exceptionally bad,” Vandegrift said. "He pulled a rabbit out of his hat
today."
The mayor added, "It's a great example of why I'm so
proud of all our city employees. They're a skeleton crew, but they work
together, and they've all absolutely stepped up even bigger during this
pandemic."
AST and Reed Utilities also played an important role in
helping resolve the problem, according to Vandegrift. "They hit the line
by accident but were extremely helpful afterward, he said. "It's not every
day the one who hits a line also helps you fix it."
The mayor says he does not fault either company.
"Unless you have X-ray vision, it's a human thing to think you're further
from a line than you are. It could have been a bad deal, but fortunately, it
turned out well."
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