City Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury inspects the new 24-inch valve near Dove Street. Submitted photos

DUNKIRK — With American Rescue Plan Act funding provided by Mayor Wilfred Rosas and the Dunkirk Common Council, contractors for the city Department of Public Works have finished installing the third and fourth isolation valves on the water main artery under Route 5.

These new valves add to the two that Rob Curry, city water maintenance supervisor, installed last year near Park Avenue and Leopard Street. The city is licensed to draw up to 12 million gallons per day from its Lake Erie intake 30 feet below the water surface, located a half-mile north of Point Gratiot.

For treatment and disinfection efficiency, the water has particles settled to waste, before all traces of dissolved organics are filtered out with two-foot layers of activated carbon in each of eight filter beds. This makes the water consistently crystal clear as it is pumped into 5 million gallons of elevated storage for delivery to customers in the city and the North County Water District.

Water breaks can occur in the pressurized lines and these four new valves will help isolate those occurrences for more rapid repair. Rosas and the council members thanked city DPW workers for their proactive vigilance with maintaining city water that is so vital for residents, industry and fire protection in the city and region.