Water Department
Contact: Ron Smothers, Director 316-722-7561
The Water Department is responsible for the connection and disconnection of water service, for maintenance and repair of water lines, water meters, water valves, and fire hydrants. The Water Department has an individual on call twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Requests for water repairs and maintenance or concerns about the water system should be reported to the City Hall during regular hours (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday).
The water meters for residents and businesses in Maize are read monthly during the first week of the month. The bills for the water used are mailed to the customer by the 5th of each month; this means that the most current water bill received by customers is for water used the previous month. The city utilizes a 500,000 gallon elevated water tower as it's primary water storage facility. No inspections or meter setting will be scheduled after 2:30 p.m. or on the weekends. Please call City Hall at 722-7561 for additional information. Once installation of the water line from the home to the water meter is complete, please inform City Hall at 722-7561 for City Inspection before backfilling.
HOW TO OBTAIN WATER FOR YOUR HOME AND BUSINESS
New Water Services
If you are new to City of Maize, or just changing your address in town, new water and sewer service sign-up is available at Maize City Hall. First-time service requires that you come to City Hall and provide driver’s license and social security numbers. In addition, a $50.00 connect fee is charged for all first-time customers and all existing customers changing their service address (name change and change of mailing address is done free of charge). Change of service or mailing address, change of name, termination of services or questions about your bill may be handled over the phone by calling 316-722-7561. In addition to new water service, applications for the installation of new water meters (new construction, additional meter for a sprinkler system or upgrade of existing meter) can also be made at City Hall. For additional information on new water meters, such as location of meter or installation schedule, can be directed City of Maize City Hall.
Avoiding Dangerous Cross-Connections
A cross-connection is a point in plumbing systems where drinking water might come in contact with and be contaminated by hazardous materials: solid, liquid, or gas. For instance, a hose placed in a bucket with non-potable water (such as soapy water, pool water, etc.) could contaminate drinking water if the pressure at the site of the hose is higher than the water pressure in the home's plumbing. Precautions should be taken to ensure that low water pressure in the home does not allow back-siphonage by suction of contaminated water into potable water lines.
Installing your own Water Service
- Schedule a pre-installation inspection of your home.
- Installation & connection of the service line from the home to the water meter must be a minimum of 36 inches deep. Scheduling of an inspection by the Sedgwick County Code Enforcement department to assure the plumbing has been installed to prevent cross connection and potential contamination of the City’s Water Supply.
- Backflow prevention devices installed per ordinance.
- Cross connection eliminated.
- Inspection of the storm water sump plumbing by the City Maintenance Department or a licensed plumber. If any deficiencies are found re-inspection will be done within 30-days.
- Abandoned wells plugged per KDHE regulations and the necessary State forms completed.
Plumbers will be required to conduct the following:
- Installation and connection of the service line from the home to the water meter.
- Inspection of the storm water sump pump plumbing and report any deficiencies with re-inspection to take place within 30 days.
- Backflow prevention devices installed per ordinance.
- Abandoned wells plugged per KDHE regulations and the necessary State forms completed.
- Cross connection eliminated.
Checking For Water Leaks in Your Home
If you have recently experienced an unusually high and unanticipated water bill, you may be losing water through a plumbing leak in your home. Water leaks can be deceptively wasteful and difficult to detect. Just a slow drip can add up to 15 to 20 gallons a day, while a 1/16-inch faucet leak wastes as much as one hundred gallons in just 24 hours! Time spent fixing a water leak will be well worth the effort in conservation and cost savings. The most notorious household fixture for wasting water and hiding leaks is in the bathroom. The lowly toilet can waste hundreds of undetected gallons a day. Leaks from toilets occur when parts are worn or when the internal mechanisms are out of adjustment. Checking your toilet for leaks is wise when water bills creep up unexpectedly.
Most toilet leaks are at the overflow pipe or at the plunger ball. If it is at the overflow pipe, the water level is usually too high. To correct this problem, gently bend the float arm down so the valve shuts off water about a half-inch below the top of the overflow pipe. Less often, a leak develops below the water line or the fill valve becomes worn. Worn fill valves waste water the same as a dripping faucet. Consult a plumber if you are not an experienced do-it-yourselfer.
Plunger ball leaks are more difficult to detect than overflow pipe leaks. The best way to check a plunger ball is to add an ample amount of food coloring into the clear water tank and wait to see if the dye eventually appears in the toilet bowl. If it does, the plunger ball is probably leaking from either worn parts or a misaligned mechanism. A do-it-yourselfer should be able fix this problem.
Another possible cause for leaky toilets is irregular mineral deposits between the flapper and drain lip. This problem is easily solved by shutting off the water supply, flushing the toilet, sponging the tank dry and sanding off the drain lip mineral deposits with emery paper. Finally, check the flapper to ensure that it closes and seals the drain successfully.
The second most common cause of household leaks is worn washers in either valve-stem-and-washer or single lever type faucets. If any of these faucets drip after they've been turned off firmly, usually the washer is worn and needs to be replaced. This task involves shutting off the water supply, dismantling the faucet and making absolutely sure that the replacement washer is the right size. Usually, this is not difficult; however, some faucet designs do present a challenge. Consult your favorite hardware store or do-it-yourself book. If the faucet still leaks after you've replaced the washer, consult with a plumber.
When correcting faulty and leaking plumbing, it is important that your shutoff valves are properly located and in working order. Most sinks, wash basins, hot water heaters and toilets have their own shut-off valves; in addition, main residential shut-off valves are usually located where the main water line first enters the home and on the residential side of the water meter. Unfortunately, most showers and tubs do not have their own shut-off valves.
As a final point, water meters can be used as an efficient and effective detector of water leaks. This is done by turning off all the water in your home, noting the position of the water meter sweep hand and then rechecking it again after 15 minutes. Each revolution of the meter sweep hand is equivalent to 10 gallons. If the water meter reading hasn't changed, your home is relatively watertight. However, if it has increased, start checking hose connections, faucets, toilets and anywhere else where leaks could develop. Sometimes a curbside meter will also indicate a leak hidden underground. In such instances, call a plumber for advice.
If you have any concerns or questions about high water bills, water leaks or reading your meter, please contact the Maize City Hall at 722-7561.
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