Springfield replaces 14,000-pound water valve from the 1920s

Workers from the City of Springfield Water and Sewer Department replace a valve on a 36 inch water line Wednesday under Lexington Avenue. The valve, installed in the 1920’s, weighed 14,000 pounds and is being replaced with a valve that only weighs 8,000 pounds. Bill Lackey/Staff

Workers from the City of Springfield Water and Sewer Department replace a valve on a 36 inch water line Wednesday under Lexington Avenue. The valve, installed in the 1920’s, weighed 14,000 pounds and is being replaced with a valve that only weighs 8,000 pounds. Bill Lackey/Staff
Politics
By Parker Perry
Updated Nov 17, 2017
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City workers removed a 14,000-pound water valve that was nearing 100 years old this week and replaced it with a new one.

The valve on Lexington Avenue may have been part of the original water line, Springfield City Director Chris Moore said. Workers were able to get the valve out and replaced in one day.

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“We schedule these out. You don’t just pick up a phone and get a replacement immediately,” Moore said. “They budget and then they get them ordered and start planning how they are going to do it. You have to shut down the traffic and work together. It’s not something you just do.”

The city is in the process of replacing three old water valves throughout Springfield with newer editions. The cost of the project is about $33,000.

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The replacement was a proactive step, Moore said. The new valve will make it easier to complete repairs if water service get interrupted, he said.

Water was not shut off for any customers during the replacement, Moore said, which he says is a credit to the city workers.

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The next valve that will be replaced is near Sherwood Drive in Springfield. That project is set to start at the beginning of December. The last one will take place during the summer because it’s near Horace Mann Elementary School.

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Parker Perry