[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6505746,"mediaKeyId","5563716-40501f56e938c9950a33940d23a2915f","parentId",5563716,"title","Committee reviews May–June water main break reports; staff describes detection and reporting processes","audioSeconds",207,"startMs",468955,"endMs",676730,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5563716-40501f56e938c9950a33940d23a2915f&start=468&end=676","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5563716-40501f56e938c9950a33940d23a2915f/thumbnail_468955.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6505746/Appleton-City/Winnebago-County/Wisconsin/Committee-reviews-MayJune-water-main-break-reports-staff-describes-detection-and-reporting-processes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505746-02c9aa849259870435f590434d3d8acd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770845662&Signature=nk8diA92PTB9HjxTGY-~9dMXY7ITQ5Z9VD65LO53GAGwK-PE9BfHYpG2fvGwNtgw7kyFTv8INDALup9TEa67NKJsVi5b2fq-L~o0Z1spDiiHcuHJ00nDlA03KwBTFGNfFFpOFJyktttE4AWlnro2gBf5gOy8cyKhUhADJcbYI6WRau59BUvFG30Wf5-h0rokFjLXaSZ3xSJvYTe2Wb5-y2408ktPBFbmCljctT7HVlEjBl2IW2XaeJ0ersypYnTKS6vmuvhYZoz9lUlTccLCHbsE4G7hlIppedg9hDbheQJcaMI~3ln3LiN3AmNDIF1t~yOLmkzz6UTByZhlGX~Cfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Appleton, WI","date","2025-08-12T00:00:00Z","article","The Appleton City Utilities Committee received May and June water main break reports and a water distribution and meter-team update at its Aug. 12 meeting. Staff said the month-to-month break counts are similar to last year and roughly in line with the city's 20-year average.

\"May and June themselves compared to last year are pretty similar,\" a water distribution staff member said, adding the city remains \"a little bit above where we were this time last year, but I think the 20 year average for any given year is about 90 water main breaks in a year, so we're still on par with that.\"

Committee members asked about cast-iron pipe breaks that showed long durations before discovery. The water distribution staff described several detection methods: visible surface breaks reported by passersby or crews, water flowing into storm inlets, acoustic listening on fire hydrants and valves, and customer reports such as unusually active sump pumps during dry weather. \"Sometimes we'll find them that way. We might hear, you know, we didn't have any rain for a couple of weeks up until this past week ... we hear water coming into an inlet or catch basin, we'll start poking around to see what's going on,\" the staff member said.

Staff also explained reporting limits for water-loss accounting. The city may only report water loss back to the first of the calendar year for annual reporting; for older breaks staff must use judgment to estimate when a leak began based on soil erosion, corrosion and the size of the crack. \"We can't go back any further than the first of the year ... we'll use our judgment in between that,\" the staff member said.

Committee members did not take action on the report. Staff said they are monitoring break rates and will continue to evaluate detection and maintenance practices.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Appleton, WI - Utilities Committee on 2025-08-12 4:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Appleton City staff told the Utilities Committee the May and June water main break numbers are close to last year and near the city’s 20-year average; staff explained how breaks are detected and how water-loss reporting is calculated.","taxTitle","Appleton City, Winnebago County, Wisconsin","taxId",3976,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6505750,"Utilities committee approves up to $35,000 contract with Duke's Root Control for sanitary sewer root treatment",366,75695,442095,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5563716-40501f56e938c9950a33940d23a2915f&start=75&end=442","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5563716-40501f56e938c9950a33940d23a2915f/thumbnail_75695.jpg","/articles/6505750/Appleton-City/Winnebago-County/Wisconsin/Utilities-committee-approves-up-to-35000-contract-with-Dukes-Root-Control-for-sanitary-sewer-root-treatment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505750-210d8dbafcff77883415257166fdb2a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770845662&Signature=ihj6EHvh1ygSxV0wfc9SVWprX-1rUkYOuWjOGhF8zCTRQZUQz7OLnubWquQAReAs1c7fmeRJrhkQ1r9cu51HYRxTdozUpbYJAzkbqoxTzbGbiCsdXMVzfR-FKUajGgiDcP7Xg2C6nR1x7bboPnMJyHVWrwtXsYVqbHf-lxOG7AEKzQ8lt2b7gYpXqKjurcYP8OanWIaF2Xtgz5PWTHoKWC-beEDMUVTS9dvdnvazSXUehg2dPXstTmAexznq10q6g9pbNKvB5tpIwdXLGeTh3DkUSTWMdkLdGjj3SoDOOVvQmEk7uuVVex~smrFU-4j3nN1G1GjahXG3kgTnxjK82Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appleton City Utilities Committee voted Aug. 12 to award contract 25-0937 to Duke's Root Control Inc. in an amount not to exceed $35,000 to provide root-control services for the city's sanitary sewer system.

Committee members approved the award by voice vote after staff explained the recommendation. Deputy Director Neuberger told the committee the city received only one bid and that the recommended award is lower than the single bid price because staff combined the original $25,000 budget with $10,000 from stormwater maintenance funds to address higher-than-expected unit prices while preserving funds for a separate spot-repair program. \"The way that the bid was set up, it allows us to do as much or as little in terms of the bid quantities as we can afford to do,\" Neuberger said. \"So the award recommendation kind of, it acknowledges that the original budget was 25,000 and it makes use of $10,000 in the stormwater maintenance funds for a spot repair project that has not been bid out yet.\"

Neuberger said the single bid came in for roughly $41,000, and staff did not recommend increasing the award to that full amount so as not to reduce available funds for the spot-repair program. \"We didn't go all the way up to the 41,000 in the bid because we didn't wanna give up too much in the spot repair program,\" Neuberger said.

Committee members asked how staff will prioritize which sewer segments are addressed under the contract. A project engineer present at a separate meeting earlier in the day, and referenced during the committee discussion, said prioritization would be based on \"priority of need\" and that staff generally try to complete larger contiguous segments rather than splitting a segment and returning in a later cycle.

The committee also asked for clarification on the treatment itself. Neuberger explained the root-control process in general terms but did not provide the product name: \"I can't think of the name of the chemical right now, but basically it kills off roots that have penetrated into the sewers ... it kills off that root, make it brittle so that it can easily be mechanically removed and it also, retards future growth.\" That explanation was given as context for why the work is performed and how it interacts with mechanical removal efforts.

The motion to award contract 25-0937 was approved by voice vote; committee members indicated support and no opposition or abstentions were noted on the record. Staff will proceed with awarding the contract to Duke's Root Control Inc. and schedule work according to the project-engineer prioritization plan.

The action ties into routine sanitary-sewer maintenance and the city's spot-repair program; staff said they will continue evaluating the maintenance program's bidding frequency to seek better pricing and efficiency.","The Appleton City Utilities Committee voted to award contract 25-0937 to Duke's Root Control Inc. for chemical root foaming and related work in the sanitary sewer system, with staff saying the award is lower than the lone bid and uses stormwater maintenance funds to supplement the original budget.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee reviews May–June water main break reports; staff describes detection and reporting processes

Utilities committee approves up to $35,000 contract with Duke's Root Control for sanitary sewer root treatment