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The Pipeline

Monday, February 26, 2018

Plugging the Leaks

Repairing water leaks is very important to Columbus Water Works (CWW) and we value the community’s help with reporting leaks.

Customers are encouraged to check their plumbing and irrigation systems regularly to identify problems early and avoid an unexpected increase in their monthly billing. Even a small leak, such as a running toilet or a faulty irrigation sprinkler, can cause excessive and expensive water consumption. If you experience a leak on private property, eligible customers may contact our Customer Service department at 706.649.3400 for more information about a possible adjustment on their account.

If you are experiencing a water leak inside your home or office building or outside in the areas between the water meter and your home, please consult with a plumber as this is a leak on private property. If you don’t visually see a leak, you may notice a problem if your water bill is unusually high. In some cases, our meter maintenance personnel may detect a water leak while reading your meter. If so, a door hanger will be left at your residence to notify you of a potential problem.

When leaks are reported to us, we have a systematic process that we follow to ensure timely and proper repairs are made.

Once the report is received by our customer service staff, an onsite investigation will be scheduled for someone to check and verify the leak. (This is typically done within one Business day.) If the leak is determined to be located between the meter box and the street or if the leak is in a public area, CWW is responsible for the repair. If it is determined the leak is on the customer side of the water meter, the property owner will be responsible for finding and repairing the water leak on their property. CWW will notify the property owner if the leak is their responsibility.
The onsite investigation is used to determine the severity of the leak. Based upon the severity and the impact the leak has on the system and customers; leaks are classified into one of three categories for prioritizing and scheduling repairs:

Severity Level 1: emergency leaks: (typical repair time 1-2 days)
Severity Level 2: priority leaks (typical repair time of 5-7 days)
Severity Level 3: minor leaks: (typical 4 week repair time)

Emergency Leaks

Example of Emergency Leak

* neighborhoods or businesses do not have water
* property damage is occurring or has occurred
* leak is deemed to be a hazard to the public
* could cause major ice spots in the winter
* customers have no or reduced water pressure or water flow

Priority Leaks

Example of Priority Leak

* steady flow that causes attention, but is not causing any
property damage
* leak may appear to be large, due to the amount of
water visible
* leak is minor but could result in property damage if
left unattended
* surrounding customers have low water pressure

Minor Leaks

Example of Minor Leaks

* not deemed hazardous to customers
* not damaging property
* leaking slowly
* leak is small
* leak is not causing any loss of water pressure
to surrounding customers

Once the leak is prioritized, CWW will schedule a crew to repair the leak. CWW is required to call Georgia 811 “Call Before You Dig” for a utility locate before repair work can begin. CWW may also need to obtain a city permit for traffic control, depending on the location of the leak. In some instances, this process can take up to five business days to complete prior to our crews being able to make the repair. In the case of emergency repairs, both the city and 811 personnel work diligently with us to complete this process as quickly and safely as possible.

Please keep this in mind and know that we have staff working 24/7 on all infrastructure problems throughout our entire 2,183-mile system of sewer and water pipes. Our staff continuously work to mark leaks (with either a flag or line locate identifications) that have been reported and are scheduled for repairs.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address water leaks, to continue enhancing our response time and ensure clean, high-quality drinking water on its path to your home or business.

To learn more about how to test for water leaks in your home, get a FREE water leak detection kit by joining us at Lowe’s Home Improvement on March 22, 2018 as we celebrate “Fix A Leak” Week as part of the EPA’s WaterSense Program.

Lowe’s Home Improvement

6750 Veterans Parkway

Columbus, GA

10am – 2pm

Information will also be available at our main office, located at 1421 Veterans Parkway throughout the entire week!

For more information on the EPA’s WaterSense program, visit the EPA WaterSense webpage at www.epa.gov/watersense.

If you would like to report a leak on public property, you may visit our website at http://www.cwwga.org/plaintext/home/reportaproblem.aspx to send us a secure email.

Please follow us on our Facebook page for more important information about Columbus Water Works, how we maintain our infrastructure, and upcoming events in the community.

Posted By adeering@cwwga.org At 9:51 AM • Comments (0)

Monday, February 12, 2018

Valentines Day's Water Footprint

Valentine’s Day is approaching and with Valentines Days comes chocolate, wine, roses and (hopefully) diamonds. A surprising amount of water is hidden in each of these things. Sandra Postel at National Geographic wrote an article on the amount of water used to make a single chocolate bar. The amount was a huge - 450 gallons of water per chocolate bar. This water comes from the rainfall needed to grow cocoa plants. All of the water used to create these items (roses, chocolate, wines and diamonds) comes with a virtual water cost. Virtual water is the amount needed to make certain items.

You can calculate an items virtual water cost using this tool developed by Grace Communications Foundation here.

Below are the virtual water costs of some items commonly gifted on Valentine’s Day. Are you surprised by the water footprint left behind?
Valentines Day Water Footprint

Please like us on Facebook for more information on the value of water and other important topics.

Posted By adeering@cwwga.org At 11:17 AM • Comments (0)