About the DPW

What Divisions Are In The DPW Department

We have three departments that make up the Department of Public Works; Water Department, Highway Department, and Building and Maintenance Department.

What does the DPW do?

Water Department

  • Responsible for the maintenance of 1400 miles of water, sewer, and storm lines.
  • Repair all water main breaks, any season, any time of the day.
  • Repair water services to houses and install services to newly build houses.
  • Maintain the entire sewer system throughout the community.
  • Install all water meters, and get readings of usage from each home, and business in the community.
  • Repair any excavated sites from work they perform.
  • Equipment includes Backhoes, trenching equipment, large and small dump trucks, and jet trucks.
  • Maintain and repair 1522 fire hydrants and valves, and 2129 gates.

Highway Department

  • Snow and ice removal on all city streets.
  • Street sweeping (we sweep during trash collection days, weather permitting)
  • Maintain all city street signs, installation, removal, replacement, etc.
  • Tree trimming and removals.
  • Do a temporary repair of streets. (Cold patch material)

Building And Maintenance

  • Responsible for any and all maintenance for 28 city-owned buildings.
  • Maintain 9 city parks throughout the community.
  • Responsible for cutting and maintaining 500 acres of grass.
  • Install voting booths for elections and disassemble each.
  • On 24-hour call to perform snow and ice removal around all city buildings and parking lots.
  • Set-ups for all city special events.

When Does DPW Plow Streets?

  • City trucks will start plowing when snow accumulates 3 or more inches.
  • Trucks will salt all major streets and around the school after 1 inch.

How Many Miles of Roads?

5.623 Miles of State trunk line - 154.76 Miles of Local - 30.06 Miles of Major.

Facts about water main breaks

The water department has between 200 and 250 main breaks per year.

Main breaks can happen any time of the year, but the majority will break during the colder months when frost enters the ground and cause ground shifting. Also water pressure changes from warmer to colder months.

2014 Water Department Service Fees (PDF)