Gainesville City finalizes replacement water line to fix 1.5 million-gallon per month leak


City of Gainesville employees and workers with Criner Excavation of Mountain Home, Arkansas, work together over the last month or so to replace a water line that runs from St. Williams Catholic Church off MM Highway down to Dollar General and nearly over to the junction of Highway 160. The major project cost just over $58,000.

A new valve was installed as part of the project. “The new valve will help us in leak detection and is essential for emergencies and sectioning off areas,” Water Specialist Jessi Price told the Times.

A fire hydrant was also installed during the work, making water much more accessible for the fire department if needed in that area.

City of Gainesville Water Specialist Jessi Price says the city is already seeing the results of its recent major water project, which included replacing a water line that ran 15-foot underground from near St. William’s Catholic Church east through the Dollar General parking lot and to near Highway 5 north. The new line is now just a couple feet underground, making it much more accessible. 

“We got it completed [last] Tuesday, and so far it’s made a big difference,” Price said. “We figured we were losing somewhere around 50,000 gallons [of water] a day, and we’re seeing that was about right… it’s about 50,000 to 60,000 gallons a day.”

Price said the repair will be a big saver for the city in general.

“Everything from paying electric for the pumps to run, to the equipment…the pumps themselves, to chlorinating that water and the wear and tear on the other equipment… there was a lot that was going into it.”

The city accepted a bid from Criner Excavation of Mountain Home, Arkansas, for the project during a November 2021 city council meeting. The project clocked in at $58,700.  

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423