JACKSON — City officials say a major water leak at the Jackson Zoo has been repaired, marking the first significant fix in a series of long-standing infrastructure issues and potentially saving the city nearly $1 million each year.
Mayor John Hohrn announced the completion of the repair, calling it an example of his administration’s efforts to tackle long-overdue problems.
“This is what the citizens of Jackson hired us to do,” Hohrn said. “We will meet problems head-on and provide solutions. The zoo is just one example of where we are dealing with issues that are long overdue. Spending $7,400 to save a million dollars is a pretty good return in my book.”
According to Parks and Recreation Director Steve Hutton, the $7,449 repair fixed a 2-inch water line that had broken where it connected to a 6-inch line, causing a major leak.
“Why this leak has been allowed to drag on for years is mind-boggling,” Hutton said. “If we had 120,000 gallons a day squirting up in our yard at home, I think we would move mountains to stop the leak.”
JXN Water reported that once the leak was fixed, the water meter showed a reduction of about 16,000 cubic feet per day (which comes out to roughly 120,000 gallons), amounting to about 44 million gallons per year, or about $900,000 in savings.
Hutton said additional savings came earlier when the city cut off the water source to the chimpanzee moat, reducing usage by another 18,000 gallons per day, or about $80,000 annually.
“Between shutting off the chimpanzee moat and fixing this leak, it appears we have instantly saved the city $980,000 per year,” Hutton said. “And we have several more leaks we are fixing.”
Wicker Construction, the contractor performing the work, has now moved to the zoo’s parking lot, where two additional leaks have been bubbling under the asphalt for years.
“This repair will be a little more time-consuming and involved as it requires the removal and replacement of asphalt,” said Chief Administrative Officer Pieter Teeuwissen. “There are three additional leaks near the two parking lot leaks that will also be addressed. Afterward, Wicker will move to the rhino exhibit and begin repair of a significant valve leak.”
