Jasper Utility Projects Provide Infrastructure Updates

On Monday evening, the Jasper Utility Service Board assembled in Council Chambers for their regular monthly meeting. 

In his report, Gas and Water Manager Tim Doersam gave several updates for maintenance projects in progress or scheduled for implementation. Fall hydrant flushing is in progress and will continue between 7:30 am and 3 pm from Monday through Friday. Flushing will continue for the next couple of weeks until all City hydrants have been flushed. The Beaver Lake drain will be opened on November 15 this year and will remain open until March. The emergency backup water supply project has a tentative completion estimate of October. The Mill Street water main replacement project will begin on October 1 with an expected completion in late March of 2025. The annual gas leak survey is in progress and is expected to be done in the next couple of weeks. Doersam also received approval of USDI’s quote for remote monitoring hardware and ANR odorizer service for $9,760. 

General manager Rob Young gave an update on the Northside Substation project, saying that “it will be tight, but it will work.” The next step in the process will be surveying. In his update on the proposed Northside wastewater treatment plant, Young said that his team had visited different sites. He said that they will eventually need to get land appraisals and hire a consultant to do a wetlands delineation and soil studies. In the Mill Street water main replacement project area, there is potential for a 50/50 program for a water lead line replacement and sewer lateral line replacement. Committee meetings will be scheduled to discuss placement, costs, and other pertinent details. 

In other business, quotes were opened for a small aerial bucket truck for the electric department and for the wastewater department’s manhole rehabilitation project. Business office manager Ashley Kiefer said that departments are receiving their Capital Asset disposal authorizations. Kiefer said that each summer, every department compiles a list of their inventory and compiles a list of items that need to be scrapped or disposed of so that they can be removed, repurposed, or placed for auction. Brad Eckerle with Brosmer Land Surveying received approval to vacate a portion of a utility easement in lot 7 at Oak Ridge Estates. The residence’s original electric line was located under a lot of landscaping, so this new easement location will be in a more accessible area that will better coordinate with the existing electric lines.


For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.