Thetown of North Manchester is preparing to make some major upgrades to its water service. Photo by the town of North Manchester.

News Release

NORTH MANCHESTER — The town of North Manchester is preparing to make some major upgrades to its water service over the next several years.

Town Manager Adam Penrod has identified multiple locations where water mains and service lines need to be repaired or upgraded and is also considering a complete replacement of all the town’s water meters.

Pitting Found During Water Main Repairs

Penrod is aware of multiple water main breaks on SR 114W, which tend to happen in the winter. During repairs, the water department found the mains in poor condition, showing signs of “pitting,” a type of corrosion that can cause the pipe to eventually fail. Currently, the town is looking into replacing large segments of the water main on SR 114 located near McKee Mortuary. A main on West Main Street is also being considered for improvements.

Size Upgrade For Fire Flow

Some of the town’s water mains have a diameter of 4 inches that, due to housing developments and community expansion, need to be upgraded to 8 or 12-inch diameters. Wider water mains allow for improved flow from hydrants when fires arise. A main on Wayne Street has been identified as having low fire hydrant flow and is being looked at for an upgrade. There are areas of 4-inch water mains on East Street that could also require improvement.

Getting Rid Of Lead Lines

In accordance with current Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, the town is looking into any areas of the water system that could contain lead piping. Penrod says that small “gooseneck” pieces of pipe may exist in the current town water system and those need to be removed. The town recently sent a survey to community members to gather information about any known lead water lines or components. The findings from those surveys must be submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management by Wednesday, Oct. 16.

New Water Meters Could Save Residents Money

The town is considering replacing all of its water meters with a system that can read the meters automatically. Currently, staff visit and read the meters monthly. The new system can read all meters in the town on a daily basis and send the daily readings to cloud-based digital storage. This feature could provide significant savings for residents because the water utility office can contact households that exceed their typical daily usage by 20% or more, indicating a leak, running toilet, or hose left on. Citizens can address these issues immediately rather than receiving a large bill for a problem that went unnoticed for the 30 days between readings.

Investing In The Future

The town has had initial reports created by engineering consultant firms Jones & Henry and Common Wealth, and currently estimates the improvements to the town’s water system could cost around $13 million. Penrod notes the town is looking into multiple funding options, including low-interest state loans and grants, and the community will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and voice any concerns about the plans to come.

Timing Is Everything

Penrod estimates construction on water improvement projects would most likely not commence until late 2025 or 2026. In the meantime, the town plans to host several open houses for residents, including those in neighborhoods most affected by the upgrades, potentially as soon as January. Penrod asserts the town will keep community members up-to-date about the timing of construction work and potential travel disruptions throughout process.