Canvas on Enon tower draws attention to water issues

The white canvas draped over the Enon water tower has the town talking.

Apparently, most of us don’t realize how often we look up at the water tower until there is something odd going on. We are so used to it standing over our town like a quiet sentinel.

Best explanation of the canvas I heard came from some elementary kids who said that Enon is getting married. They think the canvas draping looks like a veil. Don’t you love to hear how kids explain things?

Enon Water Superintendent Jason Rose assured me that the repairs to the water tower are going smoothly.

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One of the reasons that the repairs are going so well is that the village has switched 100 percent of the service burden to the newer tower on Cardinal Drive. Since the ball shaped tower has nearly twice the capacity of the Enon water tower, switching to the Cardinal tower was a wise move.

According to Rose, the water level in the two tanks is generally at the same altitude. Day to day water use in Enon is generally handled by both of the tanks.

However, having the second tower gives the village the comfortable option of being able to shut the older Enon water town off from the rest of the system while repairs are being made. That also helps the work go more quickly.

And there is another back up, or buffer, as Rose calls it. The county water standpipe on the plateau above Holiday Valley is connected to the Enon towers. In case of any urgent need for more water such as a fire, the county standpipe will be there to help and visa versa.

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Most of the water in the standpipe above Holiday Valley is actually from Enon’s wells, purchased by the county. This water takes care of the needs of the non-village residences west of Enon such as Holiday Valley and Hunters Glen and most residences west of Xenia Drive referred to by the county as Green Meadows 1 and 2.

This causes a lot of confusion, which Rose says can be easily solved.

“Whoever you pay your water bill to, that is who you are serviced by,” said Rose.

And, according to Rose, that is who you should call if you have problems with your water service. Take a closer look at your bill to find out who is your true supplier.

This situation kind of reminds me of law enforcement in this area. The Enon Police take care of the village, but the Clark County Sheriff takes care of all the areas around the village, including residential areas like Green Meadows that look like they should be a part of Enon. Instead, they are part of Mad River Township and the county.

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It is really essential that people living near Enon double check the map to see if they truly live within Enon’s boundaries. Having an Enon mailing address is not enough.

Last week there was some confusion among some residents of Green Meadows as to if some rusty colored water was caused by the tower repair. But as it turned out, the problem was not even in the Enon system.

As Tom Bleindorn, operation engineer with the county water system explained, there was a water main break in the Green Meadows area last week, and some people in that area may have noticed some rusty colored water.

“We’re in break season,” said Bleindorn, referring to the annual seasonal transition from cold to warm weather that often causes water lines to be stressed as freezing and thawing of the ground takes place.

According to Bleindorn, his workers were able to do the repair under pressure and the integrity of the water flow was maintained with no need for a boil order or anything like that.

In other words, the high water pressure in the pipe pushed away any outside water or dirt. Nothing entered the pipes at the break.

During the water tower repairs, the local water quality will continue to be monitored and tested according to EPA guidelines as it always is, Rose said.

Enon’s water supply comes from four wells on Enon Road north of Enon and not far from I-70 and the Mad River. The aquifer or underground source of the water is the Mad River Buried Valley Aquifer, one of the largest and purest fresh water sources in the world. It is indeed a local, state, and national treasure.

Enon has been recognized for having some of the best tasting water in the area. Jason Rose, Tom Bleindorn and their respective water departments will do their best to get it delivered to area homes as safely and efficiently as possible even during this time of repairs on the tank.

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