The city of Gainesville recently received its new sewer jetter, a piece of equipment that uses highly pressurized water to clean sewer lines. 

The city council approved the purchase of the Mongoose brand jetter from Armour Equipment on July 29, 2021, for $54,603; however, the jetter didn’t get delivered until April of this year due to covid-related delays on parts and assembly, according to City Water Specialist Jessi Price. 

“The jetter allows us to clean the sewer main lines and remove any build up or debris, which allows sewage to flow freely down the lines to the treatment plant,” she said. “This will also help us to avoid any stop-ups and delays in sewer functions.”

Price urges city residents to monitor what goes down sinks and toilets to help the city maintenance crew maintain clean sewer lines. 

“Grease, flushable wipes and feminine products should never be flushed,” she said. 

The sewer jetter requires two to three city employees to use in order for the equipment to run properly. “Because it does use water at high pressure to both clean the lines and remove any build up, it is important to have a second employee at another manhole to watch and catch any unlodged debris for removal. So we need one employee running the machine, one monitoring any unlodged debris and one watching the manhole that is next in line.”

  The majority of Gainesville’s sewer lines date back to the early 1970s and before. 

“Because of where manholes are placed along the lines, you never know where our guys might be working. Please keep an eye out for them, and remember to give them plenty of room to work as you navigate around them,” she said. 

504 Third Steet PO Box 188 Gainesville, MO 65655